Clean Slate
by Dengirl
Summary: It hadn't gone as Jack expected and the consequences of the Doctor's actions in saving Ianto are coming back and how...
1. Chapter 1

"Who are you!" the Doctor yelled and tried to move further away from the other person sitting on the bed.

Jack jumped but didn't move away, knowing he was probably just confused as people did when given the elixir and revert to a time when they felt safe, but it would pass.

"It's all right," he soothed and reached out and touched the Doctor's hand.

He wasn't however expecting the Doctor's reaction.

He leapt away, like he'd received a shock and scrambled off the bed and collapsed.

Jack grabbed him but let go when the Doctor began screaming and tried to rise on legs that wouldn't work.

Jack felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Move away, Jack," Martha said.

Jack shook his head. "No, it'll pass, she said it would pass."

He moved closer to the Doctor who had pressed himself into the corner.

"Please Doctor, you know me," he said softly.

His heart sank when the Doctor whimpered. "Go away, you hurt."

"Jack," Martha warned.

* * *

><p>Jack ignored her and closed the space between himself and the Doctor. "Doctor, please. I'm not hurting you, you need to remember."<p>

He reached out again and despite another warning from Martha touched the Doctor again.

But this time the Doctor didn't cry out but trembled like a frightened deer.

"Please, remember," Jack whispered his voice thick with unshed tears.

The Doctor's eyes were as wide as saucers, a confused frown on his face.

"Please," Jack said.

The Doctor looked away and stared into nothing then looked back at Jack and stared at him.

He suddenly clutched his head, his face contorted with pain.

Jack caught him as he fell forward.

"Get him back on the bed," Martha said.

She took out her penlight and lifted the Doctor's eyelids and sighed. She checked his hearts and his breathing, normal.

She began reattaching the wires. "He's slipped back again," she said in a calm voice.

* * *

><p>Ianto recognised that tone in her voice; she was too calm, too collected.<p>

So, he wasn't surprised when she turned to Jack and landed a solid punch.

"What the hell did you give him!" she shouted.

Jack said nothing, just wiped the blood from his nose.

"What did you give him!"

"Something to bring him back," Jack growled.

"Get out," she said.

Jack didn't move.

"Get out, Jack. Get out of the med bay and stay away from my patient."

Jack still didn't move.

Martha shoved him. "Get out, get out, get out!"

Jack still didn't move but snarled. "Don't tell me to leave my own place."

He then felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Jack, let's go and get something nice for the Doctor, for when he wakes up properly. How about some Jaffa Cakes, he loves those things."

He pulled Jack away. "Come on Jack."

* * *

><p>Martha watched as Ianto pulled Jack out of the med-bay and only relaxed when he was gone.<p>

She let out a long breath and turned back to the Doctor, who was oblivious to it all.

She checked all the wires and sensors and the readings. Then she took the Doctor's hand in hers.

"I'm sorry he did that, but I suppose he's desperate. I don't know what he gave you, but he won't do it again. Oh Doctor, you need to come back and not like that. Come back and I'll help you."

She looked at his face, hoping for some kind of response...nothing. Whatever Jack had given him, obviously hadn't worked.

She checked the monitor again before switching of the light and leaving.

* * *

><p>Ianto placed the coffee in front of Jack and sat down opposite him.<p>

He could see Jack was still angry, but at whom he wasn't sure.

"So, what did you give him?"

Jack didn't reply, his face impassive.

"Jack, you have to tell me. What did you give him and where did you get it?"

"She said it would work," Jack said quietly.

Ianto took in a breath; it could only be one person. "Why Jack, why did you go to her? You know she can't be trusted."

Jack looked up then.

A tear ran down his face. "I wanted him back."

Ianto placed a hand over Jack's, felt him trembling. "We all do, but that witch."

Jack sniffed back another tear.

"You didn't see him Yan, back before all of this shit started. He was brilliant, dazzling, thrilling, exciting. I-I just wanted him back."

"And he will, but not like that. She lied to you, told you what you wanted to hear."

Jack closed his eyes and let out a breath. "But what if he doesn't, what if he stays like that forever or-or he wakes up like he was back there. I can't, won't let that happen."

Ianto sat back, not sure what to say next.

"Martha packs a mean right hook," Jack suddenly said, rubbing his already bruising jaw.

Ianto smiled, that was more like Jack. "Yeah, I'd hate to see what happened if you really pissed her off."

The two men smiled at each other.

"He will get better cariad," Ianto said. "We don't need potions and spells. We're Torchwood and he's the Doctor. Besides, you still have to buy him that drink."

Jack's eyebrows went up at that statement.

"Don't think I don't know, Jack Harkness. You may let me share your bed, but I know where your heart lies."

Jack smiled at him. "Ianto Jones, you still surprise me."

He stood up and gathered the bags of shopping.

"Better not waste any more time. You and Gwen have that reports to finish and I have to go make up with one angry doctor."

* * *

><p>No-one had taken any notice of the bright fiery trail that had followed the big blue box.<p>

No-one followed its trail, so no-one saw something crash into the mud and the swamp of the Bayous...well no-one human anyway; just the gators and the opossums.

No-one saw a figure crawl out of the swamp and no-one but the gators and the opossums saw the figure fall to its knees and howl in pain.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Thanks to Pipkin Sweetgrass for the wonderful idea for the adversary in this story. I hope I do it justice**_

Jack slipped away from the Hub, putting off facing Martha until later; he had a very large bone to pick with a witch.

He picked his way gingerly through the sewer, not thinking about what he was stepping in; he was only thinking about what he was going to do to the witch.

"Sasina!" he called as he stepped into a side tunnel.

Several something's hissed at him. He ignored them and carried on down the tunnel.

It was only when he felt something behind him that he change his direction. He whirled round and slammed the creature into the sewer wall.

"Hello Sil, where's your mistress?"

The creature swallowed and gave Jack a wan smile. "Captain, nice to see you so soon."

"Cut the crap, where's Sasina?" Jack said and tightened his grip on the creature's neck.

"I don't know."

"Don't lie to me Sil. This sewer won't miss another rat."

"Honest, she just upped and left last night."

Jack scowled. "Did she say why?"

"She weren't making' any sense, babbling on about something coming and then she hot-footed it out of here, left ever thin' behind."

Jack swore and dragged Sil into Sasina's den; he didn't trust the little weasel.

It turned out he was right; the floor was strewn with left behind clothes and more unsettling her strong-box. It must have been something bad for someone like Sasina to leave money and valuables behind.

"See, she didn't even take her box. She was scared of something," Sil said.

Jack looked round the den and spotted the thing that he wanted and let go of Sil. He lifted the book and turned to say to Sil...he was gone.

Jack didn't blame him; if something had scared away Sasina then it wouldn't take much to scare a rat like Sil. He frowned at that. If it scared Sasina then it couldn't be anything good.

He pushed the thought to one side; he'd come for only one thing and now he couldn't get it.

* * *

><p>Gwen walked quietly into the med-bay; she smiled at that. Even Abaddon rising wouldn't disturb the Doctor.<p>

She sighed and settled herself in the chair and opened her book.

She'd only been reading for a few minutes when the monitor began beeping loudly. For a moment she panicked and then saw that although the Doctor was taking shallow breaths and his heart rates were up, his eyes were moving under his lids.

He was dreaming again.

"I don't blame you," she said. "It's probably a better world in there than out here. I hope it's a nice dream."

She went back to her book, but kept one ear open for signs of it not being a dream.

* * *

><p><em>The world was burning and he was standing in the ashes of it...ashes?<em>

_He crouched down and scooped up a handful of ash and placed it to his lips. He spat it out and his stomach turned...human ash._

_The sky was dark with it._

_It was then that he heard it, the distant roar of something decidedly not human._

_Another roar vibrated the air and actually hurt his ears and the ground shook under his feet._

_Then something landed with a muffled thud behind him. He turned and saw it was a person._

_He approached with a wary caution and crouched down by the person. It was a man, he was bloodied and quite obviously dead...shame, he was rather handsome._

_Out of some unbidden sympathy he touched the dead man's face and reeled back as fire burnt through him...he knew him._

_He scrambled backwards, caring not that he was covering himself in human ash._

_He cried out a name as another roar filled the air..._

* * *

><p>Gwen dropped her book in surprise when the Doctor suddenly cried out...he was calling for Jack.<p>

She thought he was dreaming until the alarms began to rise to an alarming crescendo and the Doctor's breathing became ragged.

She jumped again when he suddenly clutched at his throat.

"Martha!" she yelled as she grabbed hold of the Doctor's hand and tired to pull it away from his throat.

He let out a choking cough as she wrenched his hand away.

"Martha!" she cried again as she struggled to hold the Doctor's hand down.

The clatter of feet heralded Martha's arrival.

"He's choking!" Gwen shouted and moved to let Martha in.

"You have to open his mouth for me," Martha instructed; the calm in the storm. "Don't be gentle. He's stronger than you think."

Gwen said a silent sorry and put pressure on the sides of the Doctor's jaw, much like she used to do grandma's dog when it had to have tablets.

"Pull his head back," Martha instructed.

"I can't see any obstruction. What was he doing before he started choking?" she asked as Gwen gently put his head back in to a more comfortable position.

"He was dreaming then he began shouting, he was shouting for Jack."

The Doctor stirred under their hands and he opened his eyes.

"Hello," Martha said gently and then frowned when she realised he wasn't seeing her.

"Ashes...all ashes...everything ashes...Jack."

* * *

><p>The figure straightened itself and looked around it. It looked down at its body, it needed a new host; this one wouldn't fit in with this world.<p>

It took in a breath of new air and it let out a snarl...a Time Lord here?

It suddenly realised how hungry it was.


	3. Chapter 3

_Shortish chapter as real life getting in way this week..._

Gwen tried Jack's phone again but still got his answer phone.

"Listen Jack Harkness, you get your immortal arse back here right now. The Doctor's calling for you," she growled into her com as she placed a fresh cold cloth on the Doctor's forehead.

He hadn't slipped back into whatever he was in before and she wished he had.

He was in the throes of some god awful nightmare, constantly calling out for Jack and going on about everything being ashes.

Martha had tried everything to try and calm him down; even a dose of Serum Five hadn't calmed him.

The consequences were that he was beginning to suffer physically from the effects of whatever nightmare he was stuck in.

Sweat had been constantly pouring from him and his hearts beat and breathing were becoming laboured, like he was running.

"What's caring you so much, cariad? What anghenfil is haunting you?

Gwen was surprised when he answered her, but in his own language.

"He'sha, he'sha M Martha, Sarah Jane, Donna, seyat nes isha he'sha."

He reverted to English, calling for Jack.

"Ssh now cariadfab. It's only a dream, he'll be here."

As the Doctor called out for Jack again, Gwen tried to calm him. Where the hell was Jack and what the hell was he doing?

* * *

><p>Jack was currently scouring the sewers for Sasina, but she was nowhere to be found. In fact, the sewers were deserted; except for the rats.<p>

That was a worry, something had scared them into running and it wasn't him.

As he was passing a service ladder, his com beeped and said. "You have twenty missed calls and voice mails."

He frowned. "Play voice mails."

It wasn't Gwen's angry tones that caused Jack to run it was the voice he heard in the background, calling his name.

As he ran, he'd forgotten how far into the sewers he'd gone and he had at least two miles to cover.

So he ran.

* * *

><p>He arrived in the Hub in what was even for him, record time. He stood gasping for air at the top of the steps.<p>

"About bloody time!" a decidedly annoyed Welsh female voice said from the bottom of the steps.

He straightened and jogged down the steps and straight into the face of a Gwen tornado.

"Where the hell have you been! He's been calling out for you for the last two hours!"

Jack ignored her and pushed past, eyes only for the figure on the bed, who was writhing on the bed.

He placed a hand on the Doctor's chest. "I'm here."

If he thought his word would still the Doctor; he was wrong.

"All ashes...gone, gone!" he cried out and arched under Jack's hand.

The alarms went crazy as the Doctor's hearts began to falter.

* * *

><p>Jack ignored the alarms and snarled at Martha to stay away as she tried to move him.<p>

He moved his hands to the Doctor's head and held it still and stared into unseeing eyes. He was only a borderline telepath but he felt it, coming off the Doctor in waves...fear.

"Hey," he said softly. "I'm here, there's no need to be afraid."

Using his limited ability he sent reassurance and a wave of calm and smiled when he felt the fear recede.

The Doctor relaxed with a sigh and the monitors lessened in intensity.

A few seconds later the Doctor blinked and let out a groan.

"Jack?" he said in a rasping tone.

"Hey there," Jack said. "Thirsty?"

He snapped his fingers and a glass of water was placed in his hand and he placed it to the Doctor's lips, only for him to take just a sip.

The Doctor's eyes focused on Jack's and Jack's heart soared, there was recognition in those chocolate orbs.

"Jack?" he said again and tried to move.

Panic filled those eyes and they went wide with fear once more.

"Jack, I can't move my legs, why can't I move my legs!"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>:

Translation

_Anghenfil_- Welsh for Monster

_Cariadfab_- Welsh for sweetheart

_He'sha_- ashes

_seyat nes isha_ - all of you


	4. Chapter 4

The figure had breathed in the scent of the Time Lord...a powerful one at that. Patience it thought, you should savour a good meal and it would have to be wily in catching one so powerful...draw it in, like a moth to the flame.

But first it needed a new host, this body was done for and it really didn't want to revert to its true form...not until got what it wanted. It also needed a reliable source of food; it would need all its strength for...

Its thoughts were disturbed by the sound of voices...it smiled.

* * *

><p>"Waste of time coming all the way out here. He's been drinking too much of his own liquor."<p>

"Quit complaining, he weren't the only one to hear howling."

"Probably one of old man Smithson's hounds, got itself stuck in the swamp again."

The older of the two men held up a hand. "Ssh, over there, get this boat landed."

The two officers stepped onto the mud and they heard the noise again and stepped closer to the tree line.

"That doesn't sound like a hound."

They didn't even get time to cry out as they were pulled into the growth.

Both men were struck mute as they looked on a face of decay and death.

"You are too old for a host, but food."

The younger man could only watch in dumb horror as the face opened its mouth and inhaled and his friend and superior office began to crumble into ash.

The face then turned to him and he felt something akin to worms crawling inside his head.

Second later it looked down at the already decomposing body that had been its host.

"Much better," it said and moved off, found the now empty boat and headed off, now with access to all the knowledge and memories of its host.

The clerk looked up as the door opened. "Hey Earl, Sheriff not with you?

"He's gone home, not feeling too good. I'll be in the back, filing a report on another one of Smithson's damn dogs."

The clerk laughed and waved him off, already turning back to his work.

* * *

><p>"Easy, easy," Jack said as the Doctor tried to move legs that couldn't.<p>

He was panicking and was in danger of doing more damage.

"My legs," he whimpered and fell silent.

Jack moved closer and wrapped his arms around him and that seemed to open the floodgates and he began to cry.

Jack tuned to the others and gestured with his head for them to leave.

Once they had gone he held the Doctor closer and let him cry himself out. Gradually his sobs fell away and pulled away from Jack.

"Sorry," he said quietly.

"What have you got to apologise for?" Jack replied.

"It's my fault. Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

He began tugging at his hair, painfully so, making Jack wince.

Jack grabbed his hand and pulled it away. "What's your fault?"

"This!" he thumped his legs with his free hand.

"It's not your fault..."Jack began.

"It is!" the Doctor said vehemently. "I did this!"

Jack shook his head. "No, Doctor."

"I didn't expect to be here...I should be dead. It should have killed me."

"Why did you poison yourself? Whatever it was, we could have sorted it."

"No, you couldn't. You should have left me to die."

"Never," Jack said.

"I should be dead."

"No Doctor, never say that."

The Doctor was silent for a few moments, seemingly lost in thought.

"You won't think that, not when you know."

"Know what?"

"I murdered him, you know."

Whoa Jack thought, where had that come from?

"If it was White Coat or the Master then it wasn't murder. You did us all a favour."

"It was Ianto," the Doctor said.

He said it so quietly that Jack thought he'd misheard him.

"No, White Coat had him killed. You brought him back."

"Then Ianto lied to you. I murdered him."

Jack let that sink in before speaking."You weren't in your right mind."

"That's no excuse. It's still part of me. Davros was right...too much blood."

Silence fell between them again and then the Doctor said something that chilled Jack's blood.

"You should execute me."

* * *

><p>Jack was too shocked to reply straight away.<p>

The Doctor continued. "It's quiet easy really. You still have that phial I gave you."

Jack shook his head. "No."

"I won't resist. It's painless and quick, sort of. It'll only take minutes."

"No," Jack repeated.

"Do it, Jack," the Doctor said.

"No."

"You must. I'm guilty of murder."

Jack stood then and backed away. "No."

The Doctor face coloured and despite his paralysed legs, he managed to get to his knees.

"Do it!" he bellowed.

"No!"

"Then I will!" he screamed and hauled himself to the edge of the bed and swung his legs and stood on them and instantly fell.

Jack rushed over and grabbed him.

"Get off me!" he screamed.

Jack ignored him and held him closer. "I'm not going to kill you. You brought him back and for that I love you. We'll work this out and you will get your legs back."

The Doctor let out a howl that cut Jack to the quick, but he no longer tried to pull away.

"We'll work it out," Jack said and they sat on the floor for almost an hour.

"Better get you back into bed. It'll be me that'll need saving if Martha finds us like this," Jack said.

He was relieved to hear the Doctor laugh. "Death by Martha Jones, that'd be a new one."

Jack kissed the Doctor's hair. "No more talk of death."

The Doctor nodded. "It was my guilt talking. I want my legs back."

* * *

><p>"Well, that is interesting. Then I shall go there."<p>

It had been in this host's body for less than three hours and it was already frustrated and it was getting hungry.

It needed a constant supply of food and it couldn't eat those around it; not without arousing suspicion.

But what it really wanted was the Time Lord.

Then it had seen a report and had found exactly what it wanted.

This world was about to get a new religion.


	5. Chapter 5

"Slowly, don't rush it. Give your other leg time to stretch"

Jack heard the therapist's voice as he walked in the door.

It had been a month since the Doctor had regained consciousness and two weeks since they'd moved him into Jack apartment and had set up everything needed to help the Doctor.

His progress had been good, better than good, but there was still a way to go. He went into the kitchen and sat with a coffee and listened to the therapist coaxing and cajoling the Doctor.

"No, Mr Smith, from the hip, not your back."

Jack smiled as she smiled as she chided him, but it faded when the Doctor snapped back.

"I am bloody pushing!"

"One more time, then were finished."

The Doctor let out an exasperated breath and groaned.

A few minutes later, the therapist wheeled him into the kitchen. "He's all yours Mr Harkness. He's made excellent progress."

"Only cause' she's the Marquis de Sade in female form," the Doctor grumbled.

Jack waited until the therapist had gone before speaking again.

"You bath, now. Gwen and Rhys are coming round for dinner."

* * *

><p>The Doctor had long gone past shyness and embarrassment at being naked in front of Jack; he couldn't get in and out of the bath without his help.<p>

He sighed as Jack lathered shampoo into his hair and closed his eyes and drifted off...

The smell of burning hit him first; he recognised it instantly... burning flesh and then the screaming.

Where was it coming from?

Then he looked down and dear god...it was himself!

He was being burnt alive!

The Doctor felt the fire burn through skin and flesh and muscle and he felt his bones begin to char.

Suddenly, there was no more pain, then he heard the voice...soft, gentle.

"I can end this, Time Lord. Give yourself to me, let me live through you."

The words jarred with what was left of his destroyed self. "NO!"

The voice changed then. "Then you shall burn and I will have you anyway. You belong to me"

The heat and the pain began again and he screamed as he took in an involuntary breath into scorched lungs and what felt like a burning hot hand press against his chest.

* * *

><p>Jack smiled when he saw and felt the Doctor visibly relax under his hands...he was getting better, day by day. Soon he would be running around like nothing had ever happened.<p>

So when the Doctor suddenly let out a terrified scream he fell backwards.

By the time he recovered the Doctor was thrashing helplessly inside the bath and before he could move he'd gone under the water.

Jack dived for the bath and hauled the Doctor up, who continued to scream, but now words were pouring from his mouth.

"Burning! Burning! Holy Gods, somebody..."

He began screaming wordlessly again and Jack found it hard to get a grip on him, slippery as he was from the water and the shampoo.

The Doctor began retching and Jack decided that it was safer to drag him out of the bath. He hauled the Doctor out and laid him on the tiled floor.

The Doctor was still writhing and trying to move his legs, his voice now hoarse from the screaming. His breathing was becoming exaggerated and he began hyper-ventilating and then the Doctor's respiratory by-pass kicked in and he stilled.

Jack looked at his watch...thirty seconds...sixty. "Come on Doctor, breath."

Ninety seconds and Jack's pulse quickened. "Come on."

Two minute and Jack had waited long enough and with as much strength as he dared he thumped the Doctor's chest, then again.

It had the desired effect as the Doctor took in a huge gasp of air as the shock of Jack's actions kicked out the by-pass.

The Doctor however remained unresponsive and Jack's heart sank...had he slipped back into that coma-like state.

He picked the Doctor up and carried him through to the bedroom and managed to dress him.

Just as he was doing up the pyjama top, the Doctor stirred.

Eyelids fluttered and opened, revealing confused and pain filled eyes.

"Jack," he said and smiled. "My legs, they hurt...feels wonderful."

His eyes closed again and this time it was because he was asleep.

Jack sat back, his heart pounding from the last adrenaline filled minutes. But any fear he'd felt was mixed with pure joy...the Doctor had said his legs had hurt...which meant.

He allowed tears to fall...if the Doctor felt pain, then it meant his legs were healing.

But something at the back of his mind cast a black shadow; this was the second time the Doctor had either dreamed or had a vision of burning and ashes.

Something bad was coming...something very bad.

* * *

><p>It hadn't been hard to get itself across this country; it helped when you inhabited a law officer.<p>

As it drove past building after building that all had the same symbol on it, it laughed...Bible belt.

Foolish ignorant creatures, worshipping something that you couldn't even see.

It was going to change that and here was the perfect place to start. Here was place full of fear of fire and damnation...here it would gather believers and here it would draw the Time Lord.

It had been easy, once it had a scent of the Time Lord, to place the visions in his head...fire and ash, and the death of all he held dear...and now he had marked him.

Patience was all that was needed... all he needed was to perform a miracle and that in this backward world with such simple life-forms would be easy.

* * *

><p>The knock at the door told Jack that Gwen and Rhys had arrived. He'd forgotten about them in the panic over the Doctor.<p>

As he walked towards the door, he could hear Gwen. "No getting him too over-excited, he's still not well."

"Stop nagging me woman," Rhys replied. "I'm not going to take him roller-skating whilst juggling knives."

They both shut up when Jack opened the door and saw that he was soaking wet and his eyes were red from crying.

"Jack, what's happened, is he okay?" Gwen asked.

Jack said nothing and tears started to fall again.

"Rhys, take him into the kitchen, get him something strong. I'll go and see what's happened," Gwen said.

She let Rhys take Jack and walked into the apartment.

The first thing she saw was the trail of water; she looked into the bathroom and saw pools of drying water and lather...something had happened, but what?

She moved onto the bedroom, more water.

Nervously she opened the door, her stomach fluttering, expecting to find the Doctor dead.

At first she thought he was as he was so still. Then she heard his breath hitch and she sighed with relief.

She moved closer and thanked all the gods that he was sleeping; then she noticed his pyjama top was open. Tsking at Jack's lack of nursing skill, she went to finish his job and stopped.

Forming on the Time Lords chest were two large bruises, but it wasn't that which caused her to stop.

It was a large handprint that appeared to have been burnt into it.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Shortish chapter as this is a set up for what is to come..pay attention to what the Doctor says and the TV ad...**_

"Here, get this down you," Rhys said and handed Jack a large glass of wine.

Jack had only taken a mouthful when Gwen burst back. "You need to see this," she said and grabbed Jack and dragged him back to the bedroom.

"What the hell is that!" she snapped.

"it looks like a hand," Rhys said.

They all stared at the handprint and they all frowned when it began to fade and within seconds only the two large bruises caused by Jack's fists remained.

"What the..?" Jack started to say but stopped when the Doctor began to stir.

Jack smiled when a pair of sleep filled eyes blinked at him. "Hello."

The Doctor sighed and said in a sleepy voice. "Clean slate...always good to have a clean slate," and then closed his eyes again.

"Doctor?" Jack said, disappointed that he hadn't even acknowledge him.

"Leave him Jack, let him sleep," Gwen said. "And you look like you could do with some too."

"But, that mark?"

"It's gone, probably a reaction to that shampoo that's all over the bathroom floor. It's like one of those ink blot things, you see what you want to see then everyone sees it. Rhys can you see to him and I'll see to this one," she said and dragged Jack out of the bedroom and into the living area.

"Sofa, feet up, sleep," she ordered.

Jack shook his head. "No, the Doctor."

"He's fine," Gwen said. "He had a bad dream that's all. All the things he's seen and been through, I'd worry if he didn't. Now, feet up, sleep."

* * *

><p>Gwen went into the kitchen where Rhys was making some tea and hand put the TV on low. She sank into one of the kitchen chairs.<p>

"Some dinner," Rhys laughed and put a cup in front of her.

She really wasn't paying attention to the television that was quietly burbling away...so neither of them noticed what channel it was on, so never noticed that it was on one of those American religious channels.

They never noticed the smiling preacher saying.

_"Have you done something in your life that you want forgiveness for and no-one will forgive you? Has your church abandoned you as a hopeless sinner? Do they tell you that you will burn in the fires of hell and there is no redemption? Have you lost all hope? Then there is a place for you here, a place where you can get a second chance...here at the Church of Enlightenment and Forgiveness your past sin is wiped away. Remember, god will always give you a_ Clean Slate."

"Turn that off," Gwen said. "Jack's a light sleeper and don't want either him or the Doctor to wake up."

Rhys nodded and clicked off the smiling figure. "Bloody rubbish anyway."

"You get home love, I can manage here," Gwen said. "I'll call you in the morning."

* * *

><p>Thousands of miles away in a room inside Quantico a FBI agent sighed as another report landed on his desk...yet another complaint about a newly-formed church in the Bible belt.<p>

The Agent picked up another report and looked at a picture inside of a smiling preacher.

"Time someone looked at whether you've got a Clean Slate."

* * *

><p>It shook its head in disbelief...these humans were so gullible. It wasn't interested in the money, it only had one goal now...the Time Lord.<p>

When it had forced its way into the Time Lord's mind it had seen that the Time Lord had been physically disabled.

That was a minor problem, a push here and a nudge there and the shock of the images it had put into his mind would push the Time Lord's body to heal itself.

It smiled to itself at the memory of its most clever part of the plan...soon very soon, this world would need a miracle and the Church of Enlightenment and Forgiveness would provide it.


	7. Chapter 7

Jack woke with a start and for a few moments wasn't sure where he was; then it came back to him, those frantic minutes in the bathroom.

He sat up and ran his hands over his face. Cracking his neck he stretched taut muscles and went back to the bedroom.

He opened the door quietly, not wanting to disturb the Doctor and slipped into the room.

The only light was from the street lamps as he moved over to the bed.

The Doctor was still sleeping so he carefully sat on the bed, but the Doctor stirred and let out a yawn and gave Jack a sleepy smile.

"Morning," Jack said.

"Is it, can't really tell. It's all a bit fuzzy," then frowned when he moved and his chest and his legs hurt.

"Oww."

"About that," Jack said.

* * *

><p>The Doctor listened to Jack's explanation of the event of the last few weeks and his frown became deeper and his mood darker.<p>

"I take you have recordings?" he asked as he shifted his legs, hissing at the pain that shot through them...but any pain was a good sign; his body was doing what it should.

"Yeah, "Jack replied. I'll get Ianto to bring them over."

"No!" the Doctor said sharply...his guilt at what had happened stabbing him.

"No," he said less sharply.

Jack nodded. "I'll get them."

There was a companionable silence between them.

The Doctor shifted his legs again and winced as more pain shot through them.

"A massage might help," Jack said, his eyebrow rising in a suggestive manner.

The Doctor snorted. "Captain Innuendo...but the massage sounds good. It's just a massage mind, so get your mind out of the gutter."

Jack smiled and moved off the bed. "Be back in a tick."

* * *

><p>The Doctor smiled but as soon as Jack was out the door, the smile vanished.<p>

The lie had been easy enough, but hiding the reaction to the flashes of memory was not. The smell of his own burning flesh came unbidden into his nostrils and the feel of ash on his skin.

But most of all, it was that voice...soft, enticing...telling him that it could all be over. He closed his eyes and tried to push the images away.

But that voice was there again. "A clean slate, to start again...no more painful memories..."

The voice was cut off by the reappearance of Jack, an apologetic look on his face.

"No oil, sorry."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow at Jack's disappointed face. "Next time, Captain."

Jack seemed to accept that and let out a breath. "How about breakfast in bed instead? I'll put the TV on, might take your mind off the legs."

The Doctor wasn't really looking at the station that was on. He had half an ear on the sounds of Jack and what sounded like Gwen in the kitchen.

Their words were just murmurs, but they were soothing and so normal and he sighed and turned his attention to the TV.

It was one of those religious programmes that often pervaded television at this time of the morning; preaching hell fire and damnation and please can you spare as much money as you can for our good work.

The Doctor watched out of amused curiosity...humans.

He could see the attraction, the preacher was eloquent and presentable and his smile almost rivalled the Doctor's own.

"About a sincere as a Sontaran peace envoy," the Doctor snorted, but kept watching.

"Do you feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders? Do you feel like my friend Michael here?" the preacher said, smile beatifically.

The camera moved to frame a nervous looking man, who looked like he wanted to be somewhere else.

"Tell me Michael, you have served time in prison?

The man nodded and looked nervously at the camera.

"Michael here has had a very violent past and his family and his local church have turned against him, condemning him as un-saveable. But you want to be saved, don't you Michael?"

The Doctor snorted again. "About as much as I want to eat a pear."

The unseen congregation let out a murmur as the man nodded.

The preacher smiled again and put a hand on the man's chest, just over his heart, the Doctor noted.

Oh...this should be interesting, let's see how much of an actor Michael is.

"Michael, do you renounce your violent ways?"

"Yes," Michael whispered.

"Louder, Michael. Do you renounce your violent ways?"

"Yes!" Michael yelled.

"Oh this is getting better and better," the Doctor said.

The preacher closed his eyes and shouted. "Then wipe the slate clean, let go of your sins and walk in the path of enlightenment and forgiveness!"

There was silence as the congregation held its collective breath and the Doctor narrowed his eyes as he spotted something.

Was there the faintest of glows coming from the preacher's hand...then Michael cried out and the Doctor suddenly felt like his chest was on fire.

The shock of the pain caused him to move suddenly as his legs screamed at him in protest and he fell off the bed with a loud thump, unable to catch his breath.

The last words he heard were "The Church of Enlightenment and Forgiveness Clean Slate programme is available to all. Find out more on our website...then his world turned black.

* * *

><p>He came too with a gasp to find himself back on the bed with the concerned faces of Jack, Gwen and Martha swimming into blurry view.<p>

"There you are," Martha said and placed a stethoscope on his chest and smiled.

She put it away and said to Jack. "He seems fine, but he does have one hell of a bump."

The Doctor frowned at her.

"You must have tried to do something and fell out of the bed," she answered his unspoken question.

"What were you doing?" Jack asked, concern written large on his face.

"It doesn't matter," Martha said. "Just don't try it again without someone helping you."

The Doctor shot her a sharp look and snapped. "I'm not an invalid or a child!"

"And on that, I think we should make our exit," Gwen said, seeing the Doctor was clearly embarrassed at doing something he couldn't remember.

"I'll get those recordings for you Jack," she said and left.

Martha nodded. "Yes, you need to rest."

"I'm sorry," the Doctor said. "I didn't mean to snap...it's just..."

"You're frustrated and so want to get on your feet again," Martha finished for him.

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Give it time," she said gently. "I'll be in the Hub, if you need me."

Jack turned the TV off; he wanted the Doctor to have complete quiet.

"I'm afraid breakfast is burnt, but if you're a good boy, I'll wheel you out to lunch. Do you want anything?"

The Doctor shook his head but as Jack was making for the door he said. "Wait, can I borrow your laptop?"

"Sure, but no looking at porn...not without me."

The Doctor rolled his eyes and thanked him when he brought the laptop and placed it on the bed.

"I'll be scraping the bacon off the grill if you need me," Jack said.

* * *

><p>The Doctor switched the laptop on and connected to the net and typed in The Church of Enlightenment and Forgiveness and Clean Slate.<p>

Back in Quantico a computer beeped as another hit registered on the Enlightenment and Forgiveness site.

This set of a warning mail to the same agent who had started an investigation into said church.

He was reading it when he partner whistled. "Wow, ten million hits."

"I hope you've got something to confess, because we're going to find Enlightenment."

* * *

><p>The Doctor skimmed through the blurb about the church's beliefs and dogma and moved onto the linked sights.<p>

"Now that is interesting," he said as he read various conspiracies regarding the church; how its website was rapidly becoming the site with the largest amounts of hits ever.

But what caught his attention was the warning from various sites about people that had joined the church and had dropped out of sight.

There were theories about it being a front for people trafficking or it was some evil death cult.

This was something he should be investigating as the truth was usually something far worse.

He rubbed absently at his chest.

He closed his eyes and centred himself on his legs. He forced healing energy into his legs and within minutes he felt muscles knit and nerve ending fuse.

They wouldn't be perfect, but he could at least walk on them.

He carefully stood up and nearly overbalanced but managed to right himself. He dressed as quickly and as quietly as he could.

He left the bedroom and paused for a moment by the kitchen, where he could hear Jack.

"I'm sorry," he whispered and with stealth born of experience at escaping unnoticed, he slipped out of the apartment.

The Church of Enlightenment was about to get itself another hopeless sinner to save.

* * *

><p>Jack finished cleaning the grill and decided to make the Doctor a cup of tea. Humming a happy tune he made the tea just how the Doctor liked it.<p>

He laid the tray with two cups and a plate of Jaffa Cakes and went towards the bedroom. He could hear some kind of video playing; the Doctor must be watching something on YouTube.

He opened the door with a foot and found an empty bedroom.

"Doctor?" he said.

He put the tray down and a feeling of dread came over him. He turned and then noticed that the Doctor's clothes were missing.

Any joy he would have felt at realising that the Doctor could finally walk was swallowed up by heartbreak.

He turned and then saw that the front door was open...the Doctor had run again.


	8. Chapter 8

Gwen walked across the busy Plas, weaving her way through the mass of people; some sort of protest march was in full flight.

As she was weaving her way through the crowd she had to stop and do a double take. Had she just seen a flash of brown pinstripe?

She shook her head...it must have been a trick of the crowd. She carried on pushing her way through the crowd but stopped again; this time she heard a voice and one she recognised.

"Excuse me, coming through."

Then she saw the figure that went with the voice...it was the Doctor."

"Doctor!" she called.

* * *

><p>Jack had made record time down the stairs and out into the Plas, only to be confronted with a huge crowd.<p>

He stopped and scanned the crowds, desperately looking for one needle in a haystack.

He almost missed that needle but the flash of a very familiar suit caught his eyes.

"Doctor!" he yelled and as the person in suit didn't turn but increased its pace through the crowd.

"Doctor!" he called again and plunged into the crowd, desperately trying to keep the Doctor in sight.

If he lost him in this crowd, he would be gone.

"Doctor, wait up!"

Again the Doctor intentionally ignored him and it was intentional, because Jack knew that the Doctor could hear him.

Jack started to strong-arm his way through, receiving verbal abuse in return and he was almost within reaching distance when two large security men blocked his way and he saw that needle disappear into the haystack.

"Doctor!" he called out as he was dragged away.

* * *

><p>The Doctor was very glad that the protest march was crowding the Plas. He had badly over estimated the strength in his newly healed legs and the stairs down from Jack's apartment had sent every muscle and nerve into overdrive.<p>

He was making slow but steady progress through the crowd, when he heard Jack call his name.

I'm really sorry he thought and carried on. He ignored Jack when he called out again and his hearts skipped a beat when he heard the commotion behind him and the frustrated call of his name.

He closed his ears to it and began to weave through the crowd again. "Excuse me, coming through."

The he caught sight of one Gwen Copper and executed a perfect u-turn but too late as she also called out his name.

* * *

><p>Gwen could see the Doctor, he was so near; but the crush of people kept hindering her progress.<p>

She pushed and shoved people out of the way and finally broke free and locked eyes on the Doctor.

She saw him take off but it wasn't at his usual speed; if she was very lucky, she might have a half a chance at catching him.

"Doctor...please, stop!" she called after the fleeing figure but the Doctor showed no sign of stopping.

She was beginning to panic as they were approaching a busy road and she didn't think the Doctor was exactly traffic-savvy.

She increased her pace but still she couldn't catch-up and now the Doctor had reached the road.

She had to slow up and could only watch as he started to dodge in and out of the traffic.

She went to cross but a bus stopped her and she fidgeted nervously as the bus stopped and then moved off.

To her dismay, the Doctor was nowhere to be seen.

"Dammit!" she said and looked round in the vain hope that the Doctor was still in sight.

No such luck and then she heard a commotion behind her.

She turned from the road and saw Jack being man-handled by two burly men.

* * *

><p>Jack was struggling in vain to get out of the grip of the two security men; so the voice of one Gwen Jones was heaven to his ears.<p>

"What's going on here?" Gwen asked and waved her police ID.

"He was causing trouble and this is a non-violent march."

"I'll deal with him," she said and dragged Jack away.

Before Jack could speak she said. "What the hell is going on? I've just chased the Doctor who couldn't even walk last night."

Jack didn't say anything but looked round.

"You won't find him, he gave me the slip. Did you two have a fight?"

Jack shook his head, then frowned and without a word began running back to the apartments a very confused Gwen in his wake.

They burst back into the apartment and into the bedroom, where Jack was frantically scrolling through his laptop's internet history.

He stopped when he found what he suspected. "The stupid idiot, he's doing it again."

He turned the laptop towards Gwen.

It showed a website for some church, but it was when they replayed the video that they really paid attention.

"Did that bloke just say clean slate...isn't that?" Gwen said.

"Yeah, the Doctor said that in his sleep," Jack replied. He spoke into his com, "Ianto, the Doctor has gone AWOL. Set the trap around the TARDIS and get all the information you can on something called the Church of Enlightenment and Forgiveness."

"Why would he go after them, it's just another crazy religious group?" Gwen said as they walked across the Plas.

"I don't know, but if he has, then you can bet your ass it's going to get ugly."

* * *

><p>The Doctor leant against the wall and tried to get his breath back, taking in huge gulps of air.<p>

His legs felt like jelly that was on fire; but he couldn't allow himself the luxury of rest. He had a lot to do and limited time to accomplish it.

A feeling of something coming, something awful had settled in his mind and if he couldn't use the TARDIS, although he seriously doubted she would have let him, then he would have to do what human did...he would have to fly.

He delved into his pocket and brought a wallet and took out a silver card. He pushed off the wall and out of the alley he was in and into the throng of shoppers.

He spied the thing that he wanted and stepped inside.

Fifteen minutes later he emerged having booked himself a business class seat on the next flight to the States. Now all he needed was a way of getting to airport to catch his connecting flight from Cardiff to London Heathrow.

Then he spotted the taxi rank and he smiled...no whistling for a taxi this time he smiled as the image of himself and Donna trying to flag down a taxi that Christmas. He silently thanked Donna as since that day he'd always carried Earth money; just in case he came across someone else in a wedding dress with no pockets.

As he sat in the taxi, his thoughts turned back to what he'd seen on the laptop. He sifted through the vast knowledge in his head to try and identify the power source that went with the colour of the glow he had seen coming from the preacher's hand.

As the taxi turned into the airport it came to him and his blood ran cold...but that was impossible.

No human should have that sort of ability...yes he was definitely doing the right thing. This new church was trouble and he intended to find out what kind of trouble.

* * *

><p>The preacher smiled at his congregation. "Brothers and sisters, the time is at hand. Prepare yourself, the rising is upon us and the sacrificial lamb is coming."<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

The Doctor stepped out of the airport, not quite sure of where to go next. A thought came to him; a good place to start would be public records. And the best records would be kept in the state capital.

However, getting to the state capital was a different matter. He could hire a car, but his driving skills might just attract the wrong attention. In that case it would have to be public transport and for that he needed money.

He smiled when he spied the bank of cash machines and walked over. He looked round and taking out the sonic gave the machine a quick squizz...there were a few things he had to buy before he left.

After all, he wasn't intending on looking up records during the day.

"You going climbing?" the shop assistant asked.

"You could say that," the customer said and gave the assistant a wide grin.

The shop assistant watched as the customer hefted his purchases and left the shop...weird guy.

"Yes sir, this one will do both."

The customer smiled and paid for his purchase and left.

The shop owner waited until the door closed and then picked up the phone. The things the customer had purchased were on a list of items that rang alarm bells.

"Yes, someone has just purchased two items off the list. He had a bus ticket in his wallet. Yes, I can describe him."

* * *

><p>"Well, he doesn't look like a terrorist," one agent said as they watched the man step onto the bus.<p>

His supervisor narrowed his eyes. "Wait a minute...I recognise that guy." He turned to a keyboard and a few moments later swore.

"He's on the red list...top of the red list. Apprehend at all costs. Do we have anyone in Missouri or near Jefferson City?"

One of the agents checked his monitor. "Wilson and Johnson, they're looking into that Clean Slate thing, they're in Jefferson."

"Pull them off it and tell them to get their asses over to the bus station. Send them a picture of this guy."

"Do you want them to take him?"

"No follow him, I want to know what he's doing here. Tag that bus. I don't want him giving us the slip."

* * *

><p>The Doctor was of course completely oblivious to all of this as he watched the scenery roll by. Even if he had known, it wouldn't have mattered to him; something far more important was at stake.<p>

He really hoped he'd been mistaken, that energy he'd seen coming from the preacher's hand was old, impossibly old.

His thoughts were disturbed by a soft toy dropping into his lap. It was followed by a small child, a pretty dark haired girl, no more than seven.

The Doctor smiled and picked up the toy. "I think he's okay, he had a soft landing."

The child's mother appeared then over the seat. "Sarah, apologise to the man."

The girl smiled at him. "Sorry mister."

The mother smiled at him. ""Sorry about that, I've told her not to throw him about."

"No harm done," he said. "I did the same when I was a kid."

She smiled again. "Still, she shouldn't do it. I'm Julie, Julie Parker."

"John Smith," he replied.

The woman moved and sat in the empty seat next to him, her daughter on her lap.

"You going to Jefferson?"

The Doctor didn't really want to make conversation, but there was something about the woman and her child that drew him to them.

"Yes," he replied.

"I love your accent, London isn't it. I have a cousin who lives in London."

The Doctor smiled. "Sort of London-ish," he said. Give or take a few light years he thought.

"You here on holiday or working?"

Normally the Doctor would have been rude by now and told her to go away, but today he felt the need for someone to talk to.

"Working, doing some research."

"Oh, so you're a reporter," Julie said.

"No, I'm a doctor."

"Science or medical?"

"Both actually...well a bit of everything."

The little girl distracted the woman for a second and by the time she turned her attention back to the Doctor, the bus was pulling into the station.

"Well it was nice talking with you. I hope you're research goes alright."

"Bye," the daughter said as they got up from their seats and he followed them to the front and out of the bus.

* * *

><p>Agent Wilson nudged his partner. "Here's the bus."<p>

The two agents watched intently as the passengers began to disembark.

"There he is, don't look like much. They're sure his dangerous?" Agent Johnson said.

"If he's on the red list, it's not because he's good at flower arranging," Wilson replied.

They were about to move towards the bus when the screech of tyres and the wail of sirens filled the air.

Four police cars appeared from nowhere and surrounded the bus and its passengers.

Occupants of two of the cars jumped out, weapons drawn.

One of them shouted. "You in the pinstripes, drop the bag on the floor, now!"

"What the hell," Wilson said.

"Crap, when that shop owner called, it would have sent out an APB to everyone. The cops are trying to take him down!"

Both agents began to run, fear gnawing at their guts that the cops were out of their depths and would make a fatal mistake and kill the guy.

"Stop, CIA!" Johnson shouted as they raced across the station.

But it was too late.

* * *

><p>The Doctor had jumped when the squad cars had appeared and had pushed Julie and Sarah behind him as four officers had aimed their weapons at him.<p>

His temper flared; he didn't care if someone pointed a gun at him, but to endanger innocent people, well that was as step too far.

With a growl of annoyance, he slipped the bag of his shoulder, using it as a shield to reach inside his pocket and take out the penknife he kept to cut string.

He was trapped but he really needed to get away.

Without warning he grabbed hold of Julie and pulled her in front of him.

"Mummy!" Sarah screamed.

The Doctor whispered. "I'm sorry," into Julie's ear.

"Back off, or I'll slice her open!" he yelled.

The officers had no choice but to pull back as the man held the knife to the woman's throat.

"Pick up the bag," the Doctor said to Julie.

As soon as she'd picked it up, he began to edge towards the end of the bus and pulled Julie around it.

He let go of her and took the bag. "I'm really sorry," he said again and then turned and ran.

The two CIA agents were the first to react, guessing that it was a ploy to get away. It was confirmed when the woman appeared from behind the bus.

They had to get ahead of the cops, who were now giving chase.

As they ran between the buses, they caught glimpses of their target.

"Jesus, this guy is fast!" Johnson said as they careered round another bus.

"Stop for a second," Wilson said. "I'll go after him. You call of the cops and get in back-up."

Johnson nodded. "Be careful."

Wilson nodded and took off again.

* * *

><p>The Doctor had no idea of where he was running to, he just wanted to get away. He found himself inside a multi-storey car park, running up the levels.<p>

He was pretty certain he'd lost the police amongst the buses; but he could hear footsteps behind.

He glanced behind him, and saw a man in a suit in hot pursuit.

He couldn't run any faster, his legs were still not a hundred percent.

He found himself on the top floor and had to skid to a halt when he ran out of floor. He looked over the edge and saw another building, about ten feet below.

He could hear his pursuer getting closer...no choice then he thought and stepped onto the wall.

* * *

><p>Agent Wilson sprinted up the last ramp and saw the target...what the hell was he doing?<p>

He was standing on the wall, looking down.

He slowed to a walk and approached the target. "I'm Agent John Wilson, I'm with the CIA," he said and took out his ID.

"That's nice," his target said.

""There's nowhere to go, so why don't you come down and we can talk about this."

Agent Wilson held his breath as his target looked down again and then straight at him.

Oh, there's always somewhere to go," his target said and jumped.


	10. Chapter 10

Ianto had been monitoring the secret and not so secret radio chatter for anything about a certain Time Lord. Jack was pretty sure that the Doctor wouldn't stay out of trouble for long.

And he was right as he tuned into the urgent talk between CIA operatives.

They were chasing the number one on their red list which Ianto knew was the Doctor after the debacle with the Master and that hospital.

He leaned over and shook Jack gently although he was loath to disturb him.

They'd been in the air for over five hours and Jack had been asleep for most of it, exhausted emotionally and physically.

"Jack," Ianto said softly.

Jack opened sleepy eyes and yawned before mumbling. "Leave me alone."

"Jack, code red," Ianto said.

Jack's eyes shot open and he was awake. "Who's after him?"

"CIA, but I think he's given them the slip...hard to tell."

Ianto stopped and took in a breath.

"Patch me in," Jack ordered.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean he jumped!"<p>

"He jumped onto the next building!"

"Where's that chopper. I don't want him getting inside. What do you mean he already is?"

"I've spotted him. He's on the second floor."

"I've heard enough," Jack growled and took out his mobile and pressed one button. "Code Blue Delta zero seven Alpha...I don't care if he's busy...put me onto the President...tell him it's Jack Harkness."

* * *

><p>Agent Johnson had the target in his sights, chafing that he couldn't draw his weapon...too many civilians.<p>

The target then looked straight at him and actually waved...cocky bastard.

"I'll get you" Johnson mouthed.

The target smiled and actually had the nerve to walk up to him.

"That's far enough," Johnson said, hand twitching towards his holster.

"Really, in here? I'm disappointed," the target said. "Shame, you could just let me go."

Johnson shook his head.

The target sighed and then Johnson heard a buzzing and then it all went crazy.

He was chasing the target through the crowds who were heading at a gallop for the exits.

The fire alarm and the sprinklers made a dangerous mix as the target was not slow in making his escape.

He was closing in on the target, who was nearly at one of the doors when the order came to stand down on his radio.

"Stand down, repeat, stand down."

"What, I've nearly got him!"

"Stand down!"

Johnson slid to a halt and watched as the target went out the door. A few seconds he heard raised voices and then gun shots.

* * *

><p>Ianto paled when he heard the words. "Target down!"<p>

Jack, who has just got off his phone, noticed him paling and said. "What?"

"Too late Jack, the police, they shot him, he's down."

* * *

><p>The doctor sighed; she was just about to go to lunch when another emergency was called...yet another shooting by the gun-happy police.<p>

She and her team waited outside the ER as then ambulance followed by a police car. Great she thought, I really don't need cops under her feet.

The paramedics opened the door and lowered the gurney and when she saw the patient her eyes widened...it was the man from the bus station.

Her shock was only momentary as her professional side took over and she listened to the paramedics as they wheeled him inside.

"GSW to the lower abdomen. Pulse is thready, BP eighty over twenty. EGG's all over the place."

The patient was wheeled into one of the trauma rooms and it was only then that the police didn't follow.

The doctor also spied two men in suits hanging back but the urgent beeping of the heart monitor drew her attention.

"This machine is faulty, it's saying he's got four heart beats," one of the doctor said and placed a stethoscope against the patient's chest and frowned.

"Never mind that," the doctor who had recognised the patient said. "Get him stabilised and up to surgery."

The team went about their work and the patient was finally away to surgery.

The doctor that had recognised the patient approached the two officers. "He's going to surgery. If he makes it then I'll let you know."

One of the officers nodded. "And you are?"

"Doctor Julie Parker, Senior ER Registrar."

* * *

><p>Julie finished her shift and went up to ICU.<p>

The nurse smiled at her.

"The gun-shot patient?"

"Bed Seven, he's critical but not life-threatening."

"Okay if I go and see him?"

"Sure, but five minutes. You know how Steadman gets."

Julie nodded and moved into the ICU.

She approached bed seven, her nerve on edge; which was stupid. He wasn't about to jump up and threaten her again.

He didn't look threatening, attached to the respirator and the monitors; in fact he looked vulnerable and fragile.

She picked up his charts and noted that the bullet had missed anything vital but the hole in his gut was deep. He'd been in surgery for four hours and there were notes from the surgeon saying that there were some abnormalities that would need further investigation.

She put the charts back and moved over to the patient.

"Who are you and why did you scare my daughter like that?"

She jumped when the patient let out gurgle...Jesus, he was coming round.

The alarms on the monitors went crazy and she was pushed aside by the ICU team.

"He can't be awake yet."

"Get the intubator out, he's going to choke."

"That's it, easy sir...relax...there. Oxygen...deep breaths...good."

Julie could only watch as they went about their routine. She would wait all night if she had to; she wanted answers.

* * *

><p>Jack was at the door of the jet before it had even stopped and as soon as it was open he was out and on the tarmac.<p>

He was met by two men and Ianto could see by Jack's animated movements that he was beyond angry.

"You let the cops shoot him! Where is he? Take us there...now!"

* * *

><p>Julie had waited and now the ICU team had gone and she once again approached the patient.<p>

He looked towards her when he heard her footsteps and his eyes widened as he recognised and he spoke...only two words, but they said a million words to Julie.

"I'm sorry."

She was about to reply when the doors of the ICU burst open and she was once again pushed away; this time by a man in a military coat.

When he spoke it sounded full of concern and also anger.

"Why the hell did you run?"


	11. Chapter 11

Jack was angry, angry at the police for shooting the Doctor, angry at the CIA for letting them shoot him, angry at himself for not seeing this coming.

But most of all he was angry at the Doctor...after all they had been through, the Doctor still didn't trust him.

If he didn't love that stupid alien then he would have locked him up and thrown away the key long ago.

He was still angry when he blew into the ICU and pushed the doctor away that was attending to the Doctor.

"Why the hell did you run?"

The Doctor said nothing, so Jack carried on. "I don't want to hear I'm sorry, coming from you it means nothing."

He stopped then when he finally took in the Doctor's condition; hooked up as he was to monitors and fluids. His eyes then alighted on the charts and he picked them up and as he read his mood didn't get any better.

It told him that blood samples had already been taken and that abnormalities had been noted in his blood and his anatomy.

He looked back at the Doctor, who had remained silent, whether through choice or damage from the intubator.

His anger softened and he placed a hand on the Doctor's shoulder. "This is so not the place for you to be."

The Doctor nodded silently and the said in a husky whisper. "Don't let them cut me up."

Jack let out a long breath, this was going to be tricky...time to play the Torchwood card again and hope the President was still his friend.

He spoke into his com. "Ianto, get me the White House."

* * *

><p>Julie had stood back after the man had pushed her out of the way, but when the man had said it wasn't a place the patient should be, she acted.<p>

She moved quickly over to the nurse, who had been caught in the turbulence of whoever the other man was.

"Get security," she told the nurse, who reached out for the phone, only to have a hand stop her.

"Not a good idea," a woman's voice said.

Julie looked up and saw a dark-haired woman push the nurse's hand down and then take the phone off her. Behind her stood another man.

"Sorry the man said and sprayed something in her face; the nurse slumped over her desk.

Julie blinked and then she became incensed. "Who the hell are you, and there's no way you're taking that patient from this hospital in his condition!"

The woman only smiled and pushed her and into the ICU.

Julie stared; the patient was on his feet.

"Oh no, you're not taking him anywhere. He's only just come round from surgery and he has cardiovascular anomalies that need investigating."

The man supporting the patient ignored her and began walking.

She wrenched her out of the woman's grip and stood in his way. "You are not leaving with this patient."

The look the man gave her told her plenty about what he wanted her to do.

"No," she said again.

"Move," the man snarled.

"No," she repeated and stood her ground.

"Gwen," the man growled and Julie felt her arm twisted behind her.

* * *

><p>Jack sighed. "Ianto, Retcon."<p>

"Ah...we only had one dose."

Jack growled. "We'll have to take the good doctor with us."

Ianto had found Julie's ID. "Jack, she's got a kid."

Jack groaned. "Then we'll have to pick the kid up too."

"No, leave Susan out of this!" Julie yelled but was ignored as the woman called Gwen dragged her out of the ICU.

They couldn't take the elevator as they needed to avoid the police that were waiting downstairs and Jack definitely didn't trust the CIA.

They were halfway down the second flight of stairs when the Doctor let out a groan and took Jack down to the floor as he collapsed.

Jack examined the fallen Time Lord...he was out cold.

"Great," Jack exclaimed.

It was then that he heard voices...they'd been rumbled.

"Dammit! Forget the kid, Move!" Jack said and scooped up the Doctor and began moving down the stairs again.

* * *

><p>It let out a growl, it had felt the Time Lord getting closer and now he was moving away. It couldn't have that and it closed its eyes and smiled, the Time Lords defences were down.<p>

This time not would not be so subtle.

This time it was drag him in.

At first they thought the Doctor was coming round and then he let out a scream that made everyone in the SUV jump.

He began shouting in a language that Julie didn't understand.

Although she was frightened she went into doctor mode snapping at the one called Jack.

"Keep him still! He'll tear his stitches!" she said as she tried to lift the dressing on the Doctor's stomach.

She never got near him as he let out a screech that made Ianto, who was driving the SUV slam on the brakes.

* * *

><p>"Christ!" Jack said and grabbed hold of the Doctor's hands as he tried to tear at his face.<p>

"Nai! Nai! Re ma pas!" the Doctor screamed.

Jack tried to change his grip so he could hold the Doctor down; it was a mistake as it freed the Doctor's upper body and he twisted and sank his teeth into Jack's hand.

The shock of the bite caused Jack to let go and before he could act or Julie or Gwen could react, the Doctor had flung open the door and was out and running.

Jack swore and ignoring the pain and blood he was out after the Doctor, who despite being injured was making good his escape.

"Oh no, not this time," Jack growled and increased his sped and closed the gap.

With a dive that would have made his football coach proud he tackled the Doctor at waist height.

The Doctor let out a snarl and fought Jack's attempts to restrain him.

"Doctor, please!" Jack grunted as he finally managed to get a firm hold on the Time Lord.

"No!" the Doctor yelled. "I have to go, he can save me. He can give me forgiveness...clean slate!"

Jack heard the sound of feet behind him and Ianto appeared and Jack could see the glint of a needle in his hands.

He nodded and pulled the Doctor's head to one side and Ianto injected the sedative.

"Clean slate...clean slate...I need forgiv..." the Doctor trailed off as the sedative took hold.

All Jack could do was hold the now stilled Doctor, the pain of the bite from his friend returning in spades.

But it wasn't the pain that worried him...it was the fear that he'd felt that something bad was going to happen was now happening.

* * *

><p>It smiled when it felt the Time Lord's mind bend to its will...soon, oh so soon...it would feast and then...<p>

Its thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door and one of his aides stepping in.

"Pastor James, the congregation is waiting."

* * *

><p>Translation<p>

Nai-No

Re ma pas- Let me go


	12. Chapter 12

Jack laid the Doctor gently onto the sofa of the private jet.

Although the Doctor had been sedated he was still restless and murmuring and feverish.

Jack moved away to get a cold cloth but found himself facing one angry doctor.

The slap made the others look up from what they were doing but they didn't move.

"That's for kidnapping me and for taking a seriously ill patient from my hospital!" Julie spat.

She went to try for another slap but she was stopped by Jack's hand.

He pulled her closer and said. "If I'd had any Retcon left, I would have dumped you on the runway. I don't need a civilian to make my job any worse."

Julie glared at him and pulled out of his grasp. "Whatever, if you don't mind, I am a doctor first and I have a patient. I don't suppose you have anything but the basic first-aid kit on this plane?"

Jack snapped his fingers and the woman called Gwen disappeared to the back of the jet, re-appearing a few seconds later with a large box and put it down in front of Julie.

Julie opened it and gasped, there was stuff here that her department could only dream of having.

But her examination of it was halted by the patient who she knew as Doctor Smith let out a strangled cry.

She forgot she was the victim of kidnap and her patient was her only concern.

She placed a hand on Doctor Smith's brow; he was hot...too hot.

She turned to Jack. "Don't just stand there, get those cold cloths!"

* * *

><p>Jack smiled and saluted." Yes ma'am." He was starting like this Julie Sanders.<p>

He move off and came back with a bowl of ice-water and cloths.

Julie was looking at the Doctor's temperature and shaking her head. "This can't be right? It's only thirty-seven degrees. He shouldn't even be breaking a sweat." She felt his arms and chest, the skin was cold and clammy under her hands; then she stopped and took out her stethoscope.

She blinked and moved the stethoscope from one side of his chest to other. She moved away and slowly took them out.

"He has two hearts, but that's impossible."

She nearly dropped the stethoscope but Jack caught it and said. "For him it's not and thirty-seven degrees is a fever for him."

"But...but that's humanly impossible," Julie stammered.

"He's not human," Jack said bluntly; no point in sugar-coating it.

Julie looked at Jack, then back at the Doctor. "What is he then, some sort of science experiment? Dear god, is he a clone...that's just sick."

Jack shook his head. "He isn't a clone or any kind of experiment."

Julie sat down. "Then what is he?"

Then it dawned on her and her hand went to her mouth. "He's an alien?"

"Yes, hence the two hearts and this," Jack said and moving the covers he peeled away the dressing on the Doctor's stomach.

Julie stood up then and could only stare; where there should be stitches and an angry looking wound, there was nothing but skin.

She moved forward and noticed that there was scarring, some recent and some that had gone white with age.

She reached out to touch the skin but jumped when the Doctor began mumbling again, but this time it was much clearer.

"Have faith, brethren, have faith..."

* * *

><p>Gwen's ears pricked up at those words. "That's not possible."<p>

She came over with the laptop and placed it on the table.

On the screen there was what looked like just another religious sermon was taking place.

Jack looked at Gwen. "What?"

"Ssh, listen! It's that Clean Slate thing."

"He is lost to us, stolen away by those that disbelieve..."

Jack frowned as the Doctor was saying the words at the same time as the man on the screen.

"Have faith..." the man and the Doctor said in unison.

The unseen congregation murmured something and said a loud "Amen" which the Doctor echoed.

"Have faith brothers and sister. For he will be returned to us and those that have stolen him away shall be banished to the darkness from which they came."

The congregation then began shouting that god will punish.

"God will punish," the Doctor repeated.

"Have faith and pray," the Preacher was saying and the Doctor was in perfect unison with the preacher.

"Turn it off!" Jack snapped and as the screen went dark and they expected the Doctor to fall silent.

But he didn't and his eyes snapped open; they were dark, almost black.

The words that he spoke cast a cold shadow over the others.

"The lamb shall fall before him and he will rise and the world will burn."


	13. Chapter 13

"What in the hell was that?" Jack said.

"He was repeating that preacher's words?" Ianto said.

"No, he wasn't."

They all looked at Gwen. "No, he wasn't repeating the words. He was saying them at the same time, at exactly the same time, word for word, like a puppet."

Jack let out a huff of air. "That's not good. I don't like the idea of something controlling the Doctor. I think it's time Torchwood found god. Turn us round, back to Jefferson."

* * *

><p>Julie found herself alone with the patient. She had to remind herself that he wasn't human; he looked so fragile and so human.<p>

She reached out and touched the Doctor's face. She still couldn't believe that he wasn't human.

But he looked human, felt human, right down to the stubble that graced his jaw line. She jumped when someone spoke; it was Jack.

"You're not the first and I doubt you'll be the last," he said and crouched down by the Doctor's head and ran his fingers through the Doctor's hair.

"But he looks so human," Julie said, sitting back.

"He'd say you looked Time Lord, that's his species," Jack replied.

Julie noted the affection in Jack's voice and saw that underneath the 'I'm in charge, so I'm tough' act was a much softer soul.

"You care about, even though he's alien?"

"Sometimes he's more human than you or I."

They both stopped when the Doctor stirred and let out a groan and opened his eyes.

Jack smiled. "Hey."

The Doctor frowned and tried to sit up.

"Oh no," both Jack and Julie said together and pushed the Doctor down.

This annoyed the Doctor who growled. "I'm not an invalid or a child and what am I doing in a plane and in a hospital gown and who is that?"

His gaze was directed at Julie, who frowned and then said. "Doctor, what day is it?"

The Doctor snorted. "What kind of question is that? It's Tuesday."

Jack looked at Julie and she pulled him away. "It's Thursday, he's had memory loss."

Jack shook his head. "It can't be."

"Why, the trauma he's been through could do it," Julie said.

"No, you don't understand. He never forgets what day it is, ever. He's a Time Lord, it's what they do."

Jack moved back to the Doctor who was looking at them with a mixture of curiosity and confusion.

"Jack, is something wrong?"

* * *

><p>"Memory loss, I never have memory loss...well I say never, there was that time on..."<p>

"Doctor!" Jack said sharply.

"Sorry," the Doctor said and looked down at his hands.

"What is the last thing you do remember?" Julie asked.

The Doctor looked at her. "I don't mean to be rude, but really, who are you?"

The answer he got wasn't one he expected.

"I need to see," he said to Jack.

Jack tensed but nodded; the Doctor had to know.

Jack sat down next to the Doctor and the Doctor placed his hands on Jack's temple.

They both closed their eyes and fell silent.

* * *

><p>Julie could only watch as something seemed to pass between the Doctor and the captain.<p>

She was still reeling from the fact that the Doctor was an alien and now it seemed he was able to see into people's minds as well.

She'd been joined by Ianto and Gwen who seemed to take this in their stride.

However that changed when the Doctor let go of Jack and stumbled back, a horrified look on his face.

"I would never..." he said in a small voice.

He gagged, bent double and threw up.

Jack placed a hand on the Doctor's shoulder but he jumped away as if burnt.

"Doctor," Jack said.

"Stay away!" the Doctor yelled and moved further away.

"Doctor, please," Jack said and moved again.

The Doctor moved once more.

"Doctor," Jack said again, panic rising as the Doctor was now dangerously close to the door of the jet.

* * *

><p>The Doctor didn't believe that he had memory loss and what the woman had said...who the hell was she?<p>

He had to know for sure and he joined with Jack.

At first he saw only the memories of being in Jack's bedroom and his usual 'flirt with the Time Lord' ploy.

Then flashes of other thing began to take precedent...a voice, one that he didn't recognise but it filled him with dread.

Then like a lightning flash images began to pour into his head...running, a bus...a woman and her child, then...

He tore himself away from Jack, not just because of the images of himself holding a knife to woman's throat; the woman now in front of him.

He staggered back and felt his stomach tighten...he was going to be sick.

He doubled over a retched, bringing up what food there was in his stomach. He was still doubled over when he felt a hand on his shoulder and it burnt like lava.

"Stay away!" he yelled.

He moved back when he felt Jack move again and speak.

Then he saw it once more...the ash and smelt the stench of death.

He shook his head; was he going insane? If he was, then perhaps he done the things he'd seen in Jack's mind.

The voice came again, more insistent this time.

'I can bring you freedom...forgiveness.'

"Stop it!" he cried.

'Give yourself to me, be free.'

"Stop it!"

'I can stop the guilt, stop the ash and the burning."

"Stop it...stop it...stop it!"

The tone of the voice changed, became malicious. 'You will give yourself to me...you are mine."

He began to tear at his hair in an attempt to make the voice and the images stop, but it wouldn't.

With a cry that was part fear and part desperation, he lurched sideways.

* * *

><p>Jack had stopped when the Doctor had moved closer to the door, not wanting to push the clearly distressed Time Lord.<p>

That changed when the Doctor began shouting. Was he seeing or hearing something they couldn't?

He didn't have time to think on it because the Doctor suddenly cried out and lurched sideways, hands out and straight for the door.

Without think he moved and flung himself across the gap and crashed to the floor, with the Doctor beneath him.

The Doctor was struggling under him, yelling for it to stop.

"Come on Doctor, calm down," he hissed.

Jack felt the Doctor suddenly relax and expected him to come to his senses, so he relaxed his grip.

He was unprepared for the Doctor grabbing his head and whispering.

"I need you to see."

* * *

><p>The Doctor struggled against the person holding him down. He was desperate to get away from images in his head and the person who was holding him down.<p>

The ashes were covering him and the stench of death threatened to choke him.

The voice was still talking to him, but this time there was another voice with it...it was Jack.

He needed someone to see...to prove that he wasn't going insane; needed someone to see his nightmare.

He relaxed just enough to let Jack think he was calming and then clamped his hands on Jack's head.

"I need you to see," he whispered.

* * *

><p>Gwen, Ianto and Julie started when the Doctor grabbed Jack's head and Jack cried out.<p>

Julie ran forward and went to pull Jack away but was stopped by Ianto.

"No, if you break the link, he'll be lost in whatever the Doctor is showing him."

"But he's in pain!"

"The Doctor won't hurt him."

"But..." Julie started to say, but another cry from Jack stopped her. She tried to move again but Ianto had a hand clamped round her arm.

"No."

* * *

><p>Jack was surrounded by ash and ruined buildings and what was that smell? He felt something crunch under his feet, he looked down and found he was walking on bones...human bones.<p>

But it was forgotten when he saw a figure cowering in the ash and the bones.

"Doctor?" he said, even though he knew the Doctor wouldn't hear him; this was just a replay of whatever the Doctor was seeing.

Well, he thought so until the roar reverberated around the ruined buildings and the Doctor rose and turned and looked directly at Jack.

His face was streaked with ashes and with a growing sense of horror Jack realised they were human ashes.

"Ashes, they're all ashes," the Doctor said.

The scene began to fade and Jack snapped open his eyes and looked directly into the Doctor's.

"Now do you see?" the Doctor said.


	14. Chapter 14

Jack stared into the Doctor's eyes and saw fear, despair, hope and something else...was that affection?

He dismissed that as his own desire for something the Doctor would never give, and the temptation of the Doctor's lips so close to his was overwhelming his sense of priority.

It was broken by the bump of the jet landing.

Jack got to his feet and held out a hand to the Doctor, who took it without hesitation.

"You never answered my question. Why did you run?" Jack said, not expecting an answer.

The Doctor hesitated and sat down on the vacated sofa.

"Back at the flat, when I had the TV on. I wasn't really paying attention, well not until this thing came on, some religious twaddle. I thought it was amusing, all that lying on of hands and heal you malarkey. Then the preacher produced an energy that humans will never have, ancient energy, one I thought was long gone. That's when I fell out of bed...I felt that energy and well here we are."

Jack said nothing at first; he had to phrase the next question carefully. "What you showed me, what does that mean?"

The Doctor let out a breath. "I'm not sure...a vision of something future. Even something that doesn't even involve me."

"And the things you were saying?"

The Doctor's face darkened. "Whatever or whoever doing this Jack, it will stop."

"You think it's all connected to this preacher and that church. Could he have put those things in your head, made you say those things?"

"If I hadn't have seen or felt that energy, I would have said no. But now...I want a closer look at the Church of Enlightenment and Forgiveness."

* * *

><p>Agent Johnson was not a happy man, his target had not just evaded him and a dozen other agents then to add to it he'd been pulled off just as he had the target within in his reach. Then it had all gone to hell when the target and been shot and then spirited away from the hospital, under his nose again.<p>

Now he was outside his division chief's office.

The door opened and he heard his supervisor say. "It won't happen again, but a little inter-agency heads-up would be handy."

"Normally, but as I said the situation was delicate. I hope he is going to be taken of your red list."

"Absolutely, we had no idea that he had Level Ten Clearance."

"No matter..."

A mobile ringing interrupted their conversation and the man who Johnson had been told was from British Intelligence answered it.

"He has, good... he did...okay. If that's what you want. Oh, he wants to, as soon as possible."

The man from British Intelligence put his phone away and said. "Actually, there is something you can do."

Agents Johnson and Wilson found themselves in the back of blacked out SUV, heading back towards Jefferson Airport.

The man in the front had introduced himself a Doctor Stoneleigh, a special liaison to Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Isn't that a bit James Bond?" Agent Wilson said.

Doctor Stoneleigh smiled. "If you think this is too James Bond, then you're about to be in for a surprise."

* * *

><p>They'd been waiting on the tarmac for about an hour before the private jet taxied to a halt and he door opened.<p>

However the first thing the agents did was draw their weapons when the very thing that had caused them trouble stepped out.

"Stand down!" a voice barked from behind their target and a man in a military looking coat stepped in front of their target. He was followed by two women and another man.

"Move out of the way!" Agent Johnson called out.

"I said, stand down!" the man snarled and jumped off the steps and advanced on the two agents.

The target then let out a sigh and jumped off the steps and brushed past the man in the military coat.

He walked straight up to Agent Johnson and grinned at him. "We've met, haven't we?"

Both agents tensed and then the man that was with them cleared his throat and stepped forward.

"Agents, I'd like you to meet the Doctor. He's the Level Ten Clearance...in fact I don't think they've made a clearance level high enough."

The man he had called the Doctor grinned again and then spotted the package in the man's hands.

"Is that what I think it is?"

"Cleaned, repaired, apart from the shirt. I hope blue white is okay and these."

"Brilliant!"

What was their target took the package and disappeared back into the plane.

The man in the military coat visibly relaxed and said to one of the women. "Go with him Gwen. Don't want him slipping out the pilot's window."

He then turned his attention back to the trio.

"Doctor Stoneleigh, good to see you again."

"The same, not the introduction I'd planned on but, Agents, this is Captain Jack Harkness, head of Torchwood."

Both agents straightened at that...Torchwood, the oft whispered about but couldn't really exist agency that was above the President, the UN, in fact everybody.

The Captain nodded to them and the smiled a smile that almost matched the man who had disappeared back into the plane.

"You can put the guns away, we're working together. Once the Doctor has dressed, we can get on."

The aforementioned Doctor appeared seconds later and bound down the steps and straight up to the agents again.

"No need to apologise for chasing me down. I rather enjoyed...so I'm told. Can't really remember, bit fuzzy. Just like the time I drank one too many banana daiquiri's at LJ's Christmas party...never did find out how we managed to get that sign down from... good old Linden Johnson, made a good daiquiri."

He trailed off at the two agents looked at him like he was insane. "And I'm rambling again, sorry."

The man known as Harkness shook his head. "To business then. What do you know about the Church of Enlightenment and Forgiveness?"

* * *

><p>The Pastor closed the door on his ever attentive disciples and let the mask of geniality slip.<p>

It hated these simple creature; they were good for food and nothing else.

Speaking of which, it was growing hungry again. These humans as they called themselves only provided him with temporary sustenance.

What he wanted was the Time Lord; all the power inside one body.

Until then another human would do, a snack, an aperitif.

It moved to a panel on the wall and pressed a palm against it and a door slid open. It walked down the flight of steps and it could hear the wailing of its food...but not for long.

It stroked the face of its food.

"Ssh now, you are being given forgiveness and peace from your guilt."

Its food screamed as it began to burn and the scream only stopped when it crumbled into ash.


	15. Chapter 15

They had only been driving for about ten minutes when the Doctor clutched at his chest and tried to stifle a gasp.

"You okay?"

The Doctor shook his head and looked at Jack and Jack could see that his eyes were once again unfocused and he only just caught the Doctor as he fell forward.

"Stop!" Jack said and the SUV screeched to a halt.

A few moments later the door was opened and Doctor Stoneleigh climbed in.

The Doctor's head was now on Jack's lap and he was pale and his breathing was shallow and rapid.

Jack never noticed the other door open and Julie get in, not until she said. "Move captain," in that tone of voice all doctor's used, and Jack found himself out of the SUV standing with the others.

The door was closed and he could only hear the murmurs of the two doctors.

* * *

><p>Jack couldn't stand it anymore and yanked the door open to find the Doctor still unconscious but breathing better.<p>

"Is he alright?"

It was then that he noticed the Doctor's shirt was open and there was that hand-shaped mark, a red vicious welt on the Doctor's pale flesh.

"Any idea what this is?" Doctor Stoneleigh asked as he dabbed at the mark with some sort of cream.

"It's that same mark, the one that appeared just after what happened in the bathroom," Jack said and explained what happened.

"Hmm, a physical manifestation of a dream, interesting."

"Interesting...interesting," Julie said. "That looks like a second degree burn at the least and you call that interesting, and what is that stuff you're putting on?"

"Just a little something we've been researching. Something someone gave us."

Jack looked at Doctor Stoneleigh and then he knew. "Ninlil."

Doctor Stoneleigh nodded. "There that seems to be helping," he said and true to his word the handprint began to fade. It was still there but at least it wasn't as angry looking.

Jack replaced Julie and helped Doctor Stoneleigh sit the Doctor up.

"He's sleeping now. We added a little sedative to the cream. He'll be out for good few hours."

"Then let's get going again. From what we know of this church, it has powerful friends."

As the two SUV's set off, Julie put her hand. "Let me look at that cream. This could revolutionize burn treatment."

Doctor Stoneleigh shook his head and put it back in his bag. "Sorry, but this stuff is classified. This stuff gets out and it opens a whole new can of worms."

Julie went to say something but stopped when the woman driving gave her a look in the mirror that said 'Don't'.

* * *

><p>The town didn't look like a place that held dark secrets. It had a main street, bars and shops and a several decent motels.<p>

What it did have though, was the Church of Enlightenment and Forgiveness.

"You're lucky, these are my last three rooms, what with the big meeting at the church this weekend," the owner said as he handed over the keys to Ianto. "I take it your here to see the miracle, here to be given a clean slate."

Ianto wasn't quite sure what to say, so he played along. "Yes, the miracle."

"Going to be quite something. Pastor James says he's here already."

"Who?"

"The miracle, says we'll know who he is by the mark."

The owner pointed to picture on the wall. It was the picture of man, there was no face but as clear as day on the man's chest was a hand print.

* * *

><p>"This is getting weirder by the minute," Agent Wilson said as they settled into their room.<p>

"It's Torchwood and way out of our league. All I know is that this so called church has been raking in money and that people are coming here and never leaving."

"But Torchwood, they're all aliens and weird crap. And that guy, the Doctor. He jumped from the top of multi-storey onto a concrete roof and didn't even break a finger nail. No-one can do that," Agent Johnson said.

"Like I said, out of our league. We do our job and let them do whatever it is they do."

The knock at their door halted the conversation.

"Let's go eat, think about it tomorrow."

* * *

><p>Jack was just settling the Doctor down when the door opened.<p>

"Do you want to go and get something to eat? The restaurant across the road looks okay," Gwen said.

Jack shook his head. "I can't leave him."

"He'll be alright for an hour or so. Doctor Stoneleigh said he'll be out of it for while. The restaurant is opposite this room, we can sit by the window, keep an eye on it."

Jack shook his head again just as Julie and Doctor Stoneleigh arrived.

"Not moving," Doctor Stoneleigh said. "Doctor's orders Jack. You need to eat, we all do. I've a feeling this is going to get nasty and fast. So, eat now, he's not going to move."

Jack let out a sigh and nodded. "Just long enough to eat and then I'm coming back."

* * *

><p>Ianto hurried back towards the room but saw the rest of them walking across the street. He altered his course, so he never saw the cleaner pushing her cart towards the room Jack had just vacated.<p>

The cleaner stopped outside the room and knocked on the door; there was no answer. She was glad, she wanted to get back and finish the gift she'd prepared for the miracle when he arrived.

She knocked again, just to make sure and when she definitely got no answer, she let herself into the room.

It was dark, so at first she didn't see the person in the bed. She turned on the light and jumped when she saw the bed was occupied.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she stammered. "I'll come back later."

The person in the bed groaned and shifted and the covers fell away from his chest.

She froze then and couldn't believe what she was seeing...it was him...it was the miracle.

She crossed herself and with a racing heart she took out her phone and dialled the number they had all been given.

"Pastor James, this is Sister Stephenson. I've found him. He's here at the Tollgate Motel. I'm sure, he has the mark...it's the miracle."

She turned off her phone and grasped hold of her crucifix and began praying. "The lamb shall kneel before him and his sacrifice shall cleanse the world."

* * *

><p>Jack was fretting about leaving the Doctor and the wait for a table next to the window only heightened his anxiety.<p>

Eventually they were seated and had just ordered when there was commotion at the front of the restaurant.

They all looked out of the window and a mass of people were gathering across the street.

There was the screech of tyres and two blacked out 4x4's pulled up.

Jack was on his feet by then and was out of the door and ran straight into Ianto, who had been delayed by the gathering crowd.

"Jack, we have to get to the Doctor, he's..."

His words were drowned out by the crowd who let out a synchronised gasp.

Jack pushed his way through the crowd but had to stop.

He could only watch as the Doctor was carried out by two burly men, who were flanked by four other armed men.

"Look, the mark!"

"Praise the Lord!"

Then the crowd began chanting.

"The miracle...the miracle."

Jack couldn't move for the crush, neither could the others and all he could do was watch as the Doctor was placed in one of the 4x4's and disappeared in a screech of rubber and tyre smoke.


	16. Chapter 16

The Doctor woke and found himself in a very comfortable bed and the distinct feeling that something was very wrong.

His suspicions were not quashed when he tried to move and heard the chink of chains. He lifted the bedclothes and there they were...shackles.

The door opened and in stepped two women, accompanied by two heavy set men.

One of the women was carrying a tray with what smelt like food and the other was carrying and old-fashioned wash-bowl and what looked like shaving and washing equipment.

One of the men moved past the women and produced a key and undid the shackles.

"Nice accommodation...not sure about the bondage."

The women smiled at him. "It's for your protection, the tempter is among us. Please eat, wash, and be clean. You are the lamb and must be pure."

The women stepped back and the Doctor guessed he wasn't going to get anymore answers; not that anything the women had said made sense.

He felt a little uncomfortable about eating and having to wash in front of the women; but at least they had the decency to turn their backs to him.

He had to just ignore the steely glare of the two men and was disappointed that when he had finished he was shackled again.

"Wait," he said. "Can I talk to whoever's in charge?"

"Pastor James will come to you soon."

He fell back against the soft pillows and sighed. His mind turned to what the woman had said. He didn't like the part about being a lamb; which lead down a path he really didn't want to think about.

Lamb as in sacrificial.

* * *

><p>Jack had been all for going after the 4x4's but finally he'd been made to see sense; there were a couple of hundred fanatics and only seven of them.<p>

Now he was pacing the floor like the caged tiger he was; every nerve taught and stretched to its limits.

"Jack, you need to see this," Gwen said.

The television had been on for some time and now the early morning news was burbling away.

"Andrew County Missouri has become the centre of a world-wide phenomenon as thousands of people are descending on the near abandoned town of Nodaway. We go live now with Dan Sanderson...Dan."

"Good morning, I'm standing outside the gates of a private estate on the outskirts of Nodaway where the founder of one of the biggest religious movements outside of established religion has his home. Pastor James as he is known came to the public's attention when his website Clean Slate and his church of Enlightenment and Forgiveness became the most successful viral video of all time with ten million hits and rising."

"So what is happening now, Dan?"

"According to what information we have, the website shut down for an hour and when it returned, there was a message calling for people to gather at this place for a service at dawn on Sunday, and now the town's population is increasing by the hour."

"Has anyone from the church itself said anything?"

"Not at this moment in time, but according to the one person we did speak to, most of the congregation is actually within these gates."

"Did they give a reason for that?"

"The person said it was to witness a miracle and that the chosen one has arrived. At the moment things are quiet but there is supposed to be a public announcement sometime today."

"Thank you Dan. We have with us Professor Jacqueline Donnellson, who's a government employed expert in Cults and their followers. So Professor, is this a cult?"

"Well, I can't exactly call it a cult as the people seem to be gathering of their own volition. The church has been frank and open in its beliefs and any money that is donated is immediately placed in a charitable fund."

"But there is an investigation into the church and its leader Pastor James?"

"Yes, there is a federal investigation on going, but I can't say what my role is within that."

"So, there may be some truth to the rumours that people are joining the church and are never seen again?"

"Again, I can't comment on this, but it is a worry that so many are now being drawn to this place."

"And what about this chosen one, is it a literal person?"

"Again, I can't comment on this."

"Thank you Professor. We will keep you updated as and when anything develops."

Jack stared at the screen. "We need to get inside that place."

"How, we can't exactly raid the place?" Doctor Stoneleigh said.

Jack was silent for a moment. Then he turned to the two CIA agents. "How good are you two at playing bodyguard?"

"Why?" Agent Johnson asked.

"Because, the Church of Enlightenment and Forgiveness are about to a get a visit from a very wealthy sinner who wants a very clean slate."

* * *

><p>The Doctor was now spectacularly fed up with being shackled and left alone in a cell albeit a comfortable cell.<p>

"I want to see the person in charge, now!" he bellowed.

There was no response to his demand and he let out a frustrated breath. "Okay, time for something more drastic. If I'm so precious then they won't want me to harm myself."

He looked round the room and smiled. "Now that is just asking for trouble," he said and he reached for the object left on a tray.

He knew he was probably being watched; an audience, just what he needed.

He kicked back the bedclothes, making sure that whoever was watching could see the glint of the cut-throat razor as he moved it towards his wrist.

"If you won't let me talk to this Pastor James, I will damage myself...your lamb will be defiled and unclean."

When there seemed to be no movement outside the door he assumed they thought he was bluffing.

"I never bluff," he said and drew the razor across his wrist.

That worked as the door burst open and three men leapt on him and wrestled the bloody razor from his hand.

One of them clamped a hand over the cut and then realised that the cut was too shallow to cause any damage.

"Like I said," the Doctor snapped. "I want to see this Pastor James, now!"

A voice came from the door. "Why didn't you just ask nicely?"

* * *

><p>"Bring me the first-aid kit and then leave us," the man said that had entered the bedroom.<p>

The Doctor stared at the man; he looked the very epitome of one of those old-fashioned southern gentlemen, right down to the obviously fake southern drawl.

"Now that was a decidedly foolish way to get my attention," the man said as he cleaned the cut.

The Doctor said nothing as the man dressed and wrapped a bandaged round his injured wrist.

"It takes a deft hand not to slice too deep, one slip and it's the afterlife."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow, but still said nothing.

"You know, this is going to be a very short and one-sided conversation. There, all done. I believe we have got off on the wrong foot. I'm Pastor James, leader of this church, for my sins and you young man are something quite special."

The Doctor did speak then. "I'm no-one."

Pastor James looked him in the eye and the Doctor saw such gentleness and compassion behind them, that his hearts skipped a beat. He smiled and took out a key and undid the shackles and laid a hand on the Doctor's shoulder.

The Doctor blinked as his eyesight started to blur and his head began to swim.

"Oh, my friend, you have believed that for too long. Soon you will think differently, you will learn that you are very special indeed."


	17. Chapter 17

_**Something not good is happening...**_

It had snarled silently when it had seen the Time Lord through the Pastor's eyes.

It wanted to devour him there and then.

No, it said to its hunger, the Time Lord had to be willing, unlike the simple humans that were just meat.

After all, no Time Lord in the right mind would go through what it took to devour them; so very much like one of this planets serpent's it would hypnotise and trick the Time Lord into sacrificing himself.

It could feel the power coming from the Time Lord; this one was older than any other it had consumed and it had been so long since it had tasted a Time Lord; a long time trapped in its prison.

Besides it wasn't above a little showmanship and he'd seen inside the Pastor's mind and had found just the right thing and after that it had been easy.

It had remained in its host's body for too long but it needed the Pastor to be as believable as possible and for that it had to give him more freedom than it deemed safe. It had not takenthe Pastor over, only controlled him when it needed to.

But if it was to charm and deceive the Time Lord, then it was worth the risk and this Pastor James could charm a serpent.

The humans were so like this planet's sheep and like sheep they would be slaughtered. But first it needed the power of the Time Lord.

It salivated at the idea of how sweet the Time Lord would taste. It had waited a long time, so another few days would not hurt.

* * *

><p>Jack tried to calm his nerves as they drove out towards what was once just a name on a map.<p>

Gwen and Ianto were not happy at the plan that Jack had concocted and neither were the two CIA agents.

Both parties had wanted to go in guns blazing and it had taken all of Jack's influence and the reasonable voice of Doctor Stoneleigh to win the argument.

He'd had to go in search of Ianto, who had made his displeasure know by slamming the door as he left.

"Yan?" Jack said to the back of his team member.

He's found him out by the now deserted restaurant; the place was beginning to look and resemble a ghost town.

"Yan," he said again and moved up to stand next to him.

"I have to do this, you know that."

Ianto let out a breath. "Yeah, but you'll end up getting killed again."

Jack wrapped an arm round Ianto's waist. "This is what I do."

Ianto moved out of Jack's grasp. "But for him?"

"Not just him."

"But it is and don't lie. He may never love you back."

"That's fine, I don't expect him to and I wouldn't force him to. That man is a force of nature."

Ianto huffed again. "And we're riding on his coat tails. Just be careful, Jack."

Jack said nothing, knowing full well that Ianto didn't just mean his physical safety.

* * *

><p>The men guarding the gate looked over the crowd at the sound of the car horn and the crowd parting like the proverbial sea.<p>

"Can we help you?" one of them said as two people got out one of the SUV's.

"Mister Harrison would like to make a donation to the church."

"If he wants to donate then he can wire the money electronically."

"No, you don't understand. He has a sizeable donation...not cash, gold" the woman said in a whisper.

The man that seemed to be in charge spoke into a radio.

A few moments later the gates opened and the man gestured for the two vehicles to come forward.

As soon as the two SUV's were inside the gates shut and four of the guards split themselves between two vehicles and they got in.

"Drive," the man who had spoken to them said to the man who was driving.

A few minutes later they pulled outside a typical ranch-style house, where a woman in a business suit was waiting.

As the group stepped out of their vehicles, the woman walked straight up to Jack.

They stood at little uncomfortably when the camera on the front of the house whirred and scanned them

"Mister Harrison, I presume. Welcome to the Church of Enlightenment and Forgiveness. Your donation will be most welcome. Please come inside and let's get the necessary business out of the way...then perhaps you and your entourage would like to see Pastor James and the chosen one."

"Oh, we would like that, very much like that," Jack replied.

* * *

><p>It had seen who they were through the eyes of the one was head of security...stupid humans, did they think they were a match for it.<p>

It heard the one who was their leader say that it would love to meet the chosen one.

They could only be after one thing and it couldn't have that.

* * *

><p>The first thing the Doctor saw when he came too again was the smiling face and gentle eyes of Pastor James.<p>

"We're back are we?" he said and handed him a glass of water.

When the Doctor took it and gulped it greedily he smiled.

"Easy, don't want you choking if you pass out again. The congregation would lynch me if the chosen one died on me."

That smile made his hearts stutter; there was no judgement in those eyes and he started to lose himself in them and a calm came over him...and yes, now he could see what the Pastor meant by him being special; but he still wasn't worthy.

"Pastor...I'm not worthy to be the chosen."

The Pastor smiled again and placed a hand on the Doctor's face. "Son that is why you are the chosen one. Someone who is full of hubris would never be chosen."

The Pastor's hand on his face sent warmth flowing through him. But he moved away from it and lowered his head.

"What is it son?" the Pastor said softly.

"I've done terrible things...killed."

The Pastor stopped him. "God forgives even murderer's. You son have had the weight of the world on your shoulders and for one so young, it's a far too large a burden."

They were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Pastor James, may I have a word?"

"Excuse me," he said to the Doctor.

The Doctor sat alone and he felt bereft...he wanted the Pastor to return, wanted that sense of calm that he hadn't felt in lifetimes.

Someone for once saw him as a person and not some super-being, there just to save whatever world it was.

It was time for him to lay his ghosts, time for forgiveness and do whatever it was he was chosen for.

A few minutes later the Pastor was back and he had two of the men who had been guarding and the two women.

"We have a problem son. You need to go with these people."

* * *

><p>Jack was getting annoyed and was losing what patience he had. The woman in front of him was blatantly stalling.<p>

"Screw this!" he snarled and drew the concealed weapon. "Take me to this chosen one now!"

The sound of a car door opening caught his attention and with a snarl he ran out of the office followed by the others.

The door was just being closed, but not quick enough for Jack not to see a man that could only be the Pastor and one other person...the Doctor!

"Doctor!" he yelled and moved towards the vehicle but was floored by two men and the last thing he saw was booted foot heading for his head.


	18. Chapter 18

It felt like the drums of every war-like tribe had gathered inside his head and they were all beating out a different rhythm.

He cracked open his eyes and found himself staring at white ceiling. He let out a groan which attracted the attention of the person sitting in a chair by the bed.

"Gave you quite a kicking, didn't they?" the person said.

Jack's hearing must have been off and his eyesight was still blurry, but that sounded like the Doctor.

"I did tell them off for being so thorough...although their intentions were after all well meaning."

Jack dismissed that thought; the Doctor wouldn't be praising someone for beating the crap out of him.

A face swam into view and Jack's stomach turned...it was the Doctor.

"Doctor?"

The Doctor smiled. "That used to be my name, but not now. You can call me John and I shall call you Jack."

Jack sat up then, ignoring the wave of dizziness.

He blinked, just to make sure that his eyes weren't deceiving him, they weren't. He reached out a hand, hoping that this was a hallucination, but it wasn't.

It was the Doctor but it didn't sound like the Doctor.

"Doctor," Jack said again but found the Doctor's finger on his lips.

"John, that name doesn't exist anymore. But if you want to be that pedantic then I'm The Chosen One and you're the Tempter, but they're a bit dramatic for my taste. Besides, I don't think you're the Tempter. I would sense it...apparently."

Jack opened his mouth to say something but found himself speechless when the Doctor moved way too close and inhaled.

The way the Doctor had drawn in his scent would have at any other time sent a jolt of lust to certain parts of Jack's anatomy.

"You certainly don't smell like the Tempter."

Jack wasn't quite sure how to play this, one because he was still slightly dazed from having his head used as a football and two, how do deal with a Time Lord that seemed to think he was some kind of Messiah figure; if that was what it was.

It had to be as he'd still known that he was called the Doctor; so hadn't been Chameleon Arched in some way. But still something didn't feel right; the Doctor's behaviour was definitely off-kilter.

He needed to get out of this room and find out what the hell was going on. So he decided to play along with whatever game was being played.

He looked directly at the Doctor and said. "I may not be this Tempter but I could be a disciple. If you're this Chosen fellow, isn't it your responsibility to save me?"

Jack could only wait as the Doctor seemed to be considering his question.

The Doctor suddenly smiled. "You know, you're right."

Jack then said. "Don't you have to ask this Pastor first?"

That earned him a scowl, which was a good sign that there was a chink in somebody's plan.

"I don't need his permission to save someone. I am the Chosen one after all. Come on then, if I'm going to save you and your friends, you need see how happy those are that already believe."

* * *

><p>Gwen was not happy, they had been out of contact for too long and she couldn't get rid of the feeling that it had all gone horribly wrong.<p>

Ianto had gone out to see if he could assist the authorities with the crowds that were growing by the hour.

She couldn't face the melee that was the fervent believers and the world's press, but she knew she had to.

On the outskirts of the town a huge stage was being constructed and they needed someone there to see what was going on.

So she straightened her jacket and walked towards the gate of the construction site.

"Can I help you?" the security guard said.

She handed over her forged papers. "Gwen Jones, Health and safety, here to inspect your scaffolding."

She was let on the site and put on her safety cap and produced her clipboard and walked with purpose towards the site office.

However when she entered the office, she knew it would be lot harder. She had no doubt that there would be people that were higher up the chain of whatever command and she would have to quick on her feet; and it proved to be so.

"We weren't expecting an inspection, all our equipment has already been inspected and approved."

Gwen smile at the man who looked at her with suspicion."We had a complaint that some of your workers were not following proper safety regulation in respect to safety clothing and storing of equipment."

The man frowned. "We've not received any complaints."

"Perhaps, but a complaint has been made. So, I will be here for the duration of the build and throughout the use of this site."

The man frowned again and then sighed. "Fine, but don't delay the work, time is limited."

Gwen said nothing; she turned on her heel and left the office.

The man turned to a person who had been hidden from Gwen's sight. "Follow her, and if Miss Cooper decides to deviate from her pretence then you are authorised to stop her, terminally if necessary."

* * *

><p>Ianto stood with the area supervisor for the CIA and watched the stream of people that were flowing through the town.<p>

"All these people and this so called 'miracle' isn't for two days, and we can't stop them. They say there's thousands more coming and as for those overseas, the airports are turning people away. If that James guy doesn't make an announcement soon, there's going to be riots. I hope your team can cope with being inside."

"Don't you worry about them," Ianto lied, worry gnawing at his inside. "Anyway is there anything I can do to help. Torchwood has resources you can use."

It felt the Time Lord move from the place he had been for some time; it couldn't let the Time Lord out of its sight.

It prompted the Pastor to seek out the Time Lord and draw him back closer to its influence.

* * *

><p>"So, where are the rest of my party?" Jack asked as innocently as possible.<p>

The Doctor looked at him. "There somewhere, but I don't think they'd let me take all of you on this little tour."

"What, not allowed to do what you want, and go where you want?" Jack asked, looking slyly at the Doctor.

He was disappointed that he got no reaction. "Oh I'm sure you'll see them at the service on Sunday. But you are my concern, save one and they save others...as you can see."

Jack had to blink at the sight.

Stretched out in front of him was a large camp, teeming with people.

The Doctor moved once more and Jack followed him into the camp, which caused a stir and Jack felt too that if he put a foot wrong, he would be torn into small pieces.

"All that time I thought I was nobody, not worthy of anything but damnation. But now..."

They had to stop as the crowd was hemming them in, all trying to touch a part of the Doctor.

He smiled and allowed them to touch. "You see, I belong now...they're all here for forgiveness and I will ask forgiveness on their behalf. I'm their miracle. On Sunday the Rising will occur and I will fulfil my destiny."

Jack was about to say something when the crowd was parted by a group of armed men and an older man walked over to them.

"There you are John. We were wondering where you and Mr. Harkness had gone."

"I was just trying to show Jack here that we're not bad people."

"That's fine, but you need your rest, you have a press conference in three hours. Come now, if you get to tired you know what happens."

Jack could do nothing as the Doctor was herded away and only the Pastor was left standing with him.

"I would suggest Captain Harkness, that if you wish to see your team this side of the Rising that you tread very carefully."

"Is that a threat? I don't think John will take too kindly to you hurting a potential convert."

"A threat, that wasn't a threat. I'm a man of peace. I sense you could be a man of great violence and as it says in the good book, he who lives by the sword, shall die by the sword."


	19. Chapter 19

_**The Rising is upon us...**_

Jack's eyes narrowed as the Pastor walked away; that was the most threatening non-threat he heard in a while.

He was surprised that he wasn't locked away in the same place that they were holding the other; had that been something to do with the Doctor?

He refused to call him John, something was definitely wrong. He knew through his dealings with the Master that Time Lords might be prone to a god complex, but he never thought the Doctor would be one of them.

He had get close to the Doctor again, threats or not.

* * *

><p>"You really should be careful John," Pastor James said as he handed him a glass of water.<p>

He smiled as the water was drunk greedily.

"Why, I was trying to bring him back onto the right path. He may not be the Tempter, but I could smell the darkness in him. Isn't that my purpose, to save those that are lost?"

Pastor James let out a soft laugh." Your heart knows no boundaries. I think perhaps we should cancel the press conference and you should rest. Sunday is the day you will fulfil your purpose. The Rising is upon us and the Tempter will do anything to stop you."

The Doctor let out a noisy yawn. "I am tired."

"Then sleep, save your energy."

As the Doctor fell into a drug-induced sleep Pastor James smile changed from a gentle one to a sad one.

"I am sorry for what is going to happen to you, but I have no choice. It promised it would spare my family. I can only pray for your soul and hope your death is quick and painless."

* * *

><p>Gwen was getting frustrated; she was wandering round the site, trying to look the part of a Health and Safety inspector. Plus, she couldn't shake the feeling that her very flimsy cover had been blown the minute she stepped into that office.<p>

Shaking off her trepidation she moved towards the area where they were setting up an elaborated sound system and pretended to inspect the equipment.

It was as she turned that she spotted the wooden box, hidden away from the view of the workers. Curiosity piqued she wandered over and lifted the lid.

She shut it with a bang...chains? Why the hell would they need chains?

It was then that she felt the cool metal of a weapon against her neck. "That does not need inspecting?"

* * *

><p>Ianto had decided that he would be better off being an inside man. It hadn't taken much to persuade them to let him go in; his Torchwood credentials outranked them anyway.<p>

His concern over Jack and the others was beginning to gnaw at him. He was worried that Jack's almost blind devotion to the Doctor was going to get them all killed.

His worry ramped up even more when he reached the gates and found it bereft of crowds and guards.

He quickly clambered over the gate and jogged down the driveway, ever alert. He only slowed when he approached the house; it looked as deserted as the gates.

Cautiously he climbed the steps and frowned when he found the door open. He stepped inside, half-expecting to be ambushed.

But the place was devoid of life; like the whole household had been spirited away.

He went to turn back to the door and the fist that came towards him was a surprise and he went down without a fight

* * *

><p>Jack had scoured the camp, looking for somewhere that looked like a place where you would hold prisoners.<p>

He was about to give up when someone cleared their throat behind him. He turned and found him facing a young woman.

"You're the one they're calling the Chosen One's companion."

Jack frowned. "I am?"

"Oh yes, no-one else has been that close to him. Others have tried but have been politely refused. But you, he likes, please sit, have something to eat and drink."

"I'd like to but I have to find...," Jack began.

"To find your friends? I know where they are, I'll take you to them. But first, we have to talk."

Jack followed the woman into her tent and she closed the flap behind them. She turned to him and her face was no longer relaxed and happy, it was strained and concerned.

"You need to take the Chosen One and your friends and get away from here."

The tone of her voice made Jack's hackles rise.

"Why?"

"Because something awful is going to happen."

Shouts from outside the woman's tent stop Jack from replying and the front of the tent was torn away and Jack and the woman were hauled out.

"You again," one of the men said who had hauled Jack out and brought the butt of his rifle down on Jack's head.

The last thing Jack heard was the cries of "Blasphemer" and the panicked voice of the woman as she was dragged away.

He came to and found he was now handcuffed to a chair.

Sitting opposite him was Pastor James.

"You seem intent on causing trouble. It seems you need a lesson. Since you won't be living past tomorrow, it won't harm you to see what happens to those that try to stop what must be."

A screen came to life and Jack saw the woman that had been talking to him. She was chained to a wall and looked half-dead.

But it wasn't that which caused him to blanch; it was what happened next.

He forced himself to watch and tried to close his ears to the woman's screams as she burnt to ash.

"Put him with the others and make sure no-one but myself has access to the Chosen One."

* * *

><p>It had enjoyed the taste of the woman's fear and it felt her life-force infuse its own.<p>

Its patience was running out...it wanted the Time Lord.

Tomorrow evening the Rising would begin and it would take the Time Lord and the world would be devoured.


	20. Chapter 20

_**Short chapter but things will get serious from her on and there is as shock at the end...**_

Jack glared at the Pastor as he shut off the screen.

"You no Pastor, you're a murderer," he snarled.

Pastor James smiled. "So you say, but your opinion does really matter."

"I won't let you use the Doctor for whatever it is you're planning."

Pastor James smiled again. "Oh really? I don't see him being forced to do anything."

Jack wasn't buying that. "There's no way he would let himself be called anyone's Chosen One."

"As I say, your opinion doesn't matter as you won't be seeing him until it's far too late. Put him with the others."

"I will stop you," Jack spat as he was dragged away.

The Pastor sat back and rubbed at his temple; it was calling him, calling for more food...calling for the Time Lord.

* * *

><p>Gwen had been shoved into the large room with no windows and only a bed. She'd tried the door but found it too well locked and shouting and kicking the door had only gotten her a sore throat and bruised toes.<p>

It had seemed like an age before the door was unlocked and in walked the man she'd seen in the video.

"Miss Cooper, you are to be congratulated on your deception. However, not all of my staff are so easily fooled. Now, what to do with you?"

The Pastor thought for a moment and then said. "Keep her here until the morning and then bring her and the others to the site. They will be the final test for John at the Rising."

* * *

><p>The first thing Ianto saw was the face of a hard looking man, who gave a humourless smile.<p>

"He's awake," the face said and it was replaced by that of a woman, who said.

"Are you one of Pastor James' loonies?"

Ianto shook his head.

The woman narrowed her eyes and then held out a hand and hauled him up. "You sure?"

Ianto reached into his pocket and pulled out his ID.

The woman took it. "Torchwood, never heard of it."

"I have," said the hard looking man. "They're someone you don't want to mess with, but they're on our side."

The woman smiled then. "Well then Ianto Jones, will you help us?"

"Help you, help you do what?"

"Stop the Rising."

* * *

><p>Jack landed with a thump at the feet of Doctor Stoneleigh and sat up with a groan.<p>

"Fancy meeting you here?" Doctor Stoneleigh said sarcasm heavy in his voice. "Looks like they beat you up pretty good?"

Jack touched the largest bruise on his face and hissed. He looked round and saw the two CIA agents and Julie.

"Are you all okay?"

They nodded. "Where did they have you?"

"In a nice comfy bed but that's not important. I found the Doctor."

"Is he okay?"

"Physically but mentally, I really don't know."

"Has he suffered a relapse?"

Jack shook his head. "You know that Chosen One crap? Well...he thinks he is the Chosen One."

"That doesn't sound good, it's not going to help. He's not exactly been stable of late."

Jack sighed. "I know, but I think there's something far worse going on and I think it's not good for any of us."

* * *

><p>The woman walked up to the door carrying a tray. She stopped when one of the armed men held up a hand.<p>

"Food for the prisoners."

The guards nodded and unlocked the door, locking it behind her.

She placed the tray on the floor and turned to Jack.

Jack tensed but said. "Yes."

The woman's demeanour changed. "My name is Maria Russell and I'm with UNIT and I'm here to help you get you out of here."

Jack stared at the woman and a chill went down his spine. "And the Doctor too?"

Maria said nothing and that made Jack's stomach tighten.

"And the Doctor?"

"I'm sorry, but they've ordered a Sanction Five."

Julie saw both Jack and Doctor Stoneleigh tense. "What's a Sanction Five?"

"Execution," Doctor Stoneleigh whispered.

* * *

><p>The guard in front of the Chosen One's door yawned and could not stop his eyes from closing.<p>

Hence he didn't see the man that picked the lock on the door and slip inside.

The man looked at the sleeping figure and slipped two lethal looking blades from there hiding place and approached the Doctor.

He froze when the Doctor stirred and held his breath until the Doctor calmed again.

He approached and raised his arms, one knife over each heart and brought the knives down.


	21. Chapter 21

The man was shocked when instead of hitting solid flesh, the knives bit only into mattress as they passed through the sleeping form.

He would have fallen onto the bed if a hand hadn't grasped him in a painful grip.

He was snapped round and faced what should have been his target but instead he was facing a very much alive and enraged target.

"Assassin, do you think it is that easy to kill the Chosen One. I felt your murderous intent before you even opened the door," his intended victim hissed.

The man couldn't tear his eyes away from the dark orbs that were boring into his. He could see something at the back of them...something awful.

"The Tempter will not stop me halting the Rising. Tell your master this...when I challenge him at sunrise tomorrow he will regret his cowardly attempt at ending me."

The man saw fire in the back of those eyes and when the man touched his forehead, he felt that fire burning through him and felt his mind slip away.

His intended victim smiled sadly. "Another soul lost. It really is time to end this."

* * *

><p>It felt pleased with itself; it now knew it had the Time Lord completely under its influence. The Time Lord had passed the test and had truly believed that the man sent to kill him had been sent by the non-existent Tempter.<p>

Now it knew that at sunrise tomorrow the Time Lord would willing give himself up; at least the mythology of this backwater planet had provided it with the perfect disguise and this particular Time Lord's over-developed sense of guilt would do the rest.

Soon it would taste the power of the Time Lord and then it would devour this tiny planet.

* * *

><p>Jack had said nothing until the UNIT operative had left and the door was once again locked.<p>

"Execution, UNIT has sanctioned execution. They don't have the right!"

"Clearly, they think they do. Although I'm not sure how they're going to do that," Doctor Stoneleigh said. "No-one's going to get that close to him."

"Sniper, that's how I'd do it," Agent Johnson said. "Straight to the head, kill him clean."

They all looked at the two CIA agents.

"Sure, those UNIT guys must have someone who can kill at a thousand yards," Agent Wilson agreed.

"They'll wait till he's somewhere open, this thing I kept hearing about, some sort of service at sunrise. It's public, it'll cause chaos and whatever team they have inside can slip away."

"No-one is killing him," Jack grated.

"Don't think there's a lot we can do to stop them," Doctor Stoneleigh added.

It was then that Julie spoke. "Listen to you, you're all talking about this like it's some sort of training exercise. The Doctor may be alien but he's still a living breathing person and they're going to murder him!"

They all looked at her, Jack and Doctor Stoneleigh with looks of guilt and the two CIA agents with surprise.

"What, you didn't think he got Level Ten clearance for his dress sense?" Doctor Stoneleigh said.

"Like I said, they're going to murder him."

"Not if I can help it," Jack growled.

"We're locked in this room, we can't help him," Julie said.

"There's always someone," Jack replied.

"Not this time," Doctor Stoneleigh said.

Jack scowled and seemed to physically deflate. "They can't kill him," he said quietly.

They descended into silence as the night drew in, knowing that the dawn would bring death.

* * *

><p>Pastor James stopped berating the guard when they brought the body of the assassin out. He noticed the burn marks to the side of his face. Had the creature he was bound to done this or was it the young man that had been chosen?<p>

Whichever one of them it was, it really didn't matter to him; soon it would be out of his hands and the fate of the world would no longer be his responsibility.

He stepped into the room and went straight up to the Doctor.

"Are you okay John, he didn't harm you?"

He shook his head. "I had no choice...I had to kill again."

The Pastor sat on the bed beside him. "You did what you had to do. It's only natural to defend yourself."

"But I'm tainted, more blood."

"No son, whoever he was he made his choice. You cannot bear the burden of a person's falling from the path. Don't think about it, it'll be sunrise in a few hours and you must clear your thoughts."

"I can't, not here...is there somewhere quiet I can go?"

The Pastor sighed. "Sure, there's a nice spot just past the orchard. I'll take you."

"No, I know where you mean. Please, I want to be alone."

The Pastor smiled. "Alright, someone will fetch you when its time."

"Thank you," he said and walked out of the bedroom.

* * *

><p>Ianto was beginning to think that he had fallen in with another bunch of religious crazies.<p>

But their plan seemed plausible and he would follow it until he could get inside and then he would break off and leave them to their crazy idea.

He had to stop himself from laughing when they'd talked about a demon rising and it being the end of the world; all he was interested in was finding Jack and the others and getting away.

He only paid attention when the talk turned to the Chosen One and what they said worried him.

Their plan to stop this so called demon was to kidnap the Chosen One and lure the demon into a trap they had found in some old book on black-magic.

Good luck to them he thought; he wasn't going to be there to help them.

* * *

><p>He walked through the camp, ignoring the people that called out to him. He sighed when he reached the barn that led to the orchard.<p>

He spotted the two guards at the door of the barn; it was where they were keeping the ones that had tried to take him from the house.

His curiosity roused he approached the two guards.

"I would like to speak to the prisoners...alone."

When the two guards hesitated he snapped. "Leave!"

The two guards nodded, unlocked the door and moved off a short distance.

He opened the door and stepped inside and walked over to the cell at the end of the barn.

It was semi-dark and he stood in the shadow cast by the moonlight.

He could see the people inside, but he could see Jack Harkness the clearest.

"It's nearly dawn and my destiny is approaching. So you didn't succeed in stopping me."

He ignored the surprised gasps and focused only on Jack.

"It's safer for you here and once it's over, either way you'll be free."

Jack moved over to the bars and looked into the Doctor's eyes. "You don't have to do this...we can do this together, fight whatever this is."

The Doctor smiled sadly. "No, only I can do this. I was chosen and you can't change that."

"No Doctor, that Pastor told you that."

The Doctor shook his head. "I'm sorry you can't see it but tomorrow your faith will be regained and perhaps then we shall be friends and perhaps more."

Jack let out a muffled gasp as the Doctor grabbed his shirt through the bars and pulled him into a kiss that seemed to last an eternity.

He moved away from the bars then and turned away and opened the door.

The sky was now tinged with reddish-grey...it was time.


	22. Chapter 22

**A sacrifice is coming...**

Ianto weaved his way through the crowds; there were thousands of them.

The call had gone out an hour ago and there had been a steady stream of people ever since...the Rising is upon you, gather, pray for your soul.

The group he had been taken by were intent on getting to the front and Ianto had to admire the stage that had gone up in a day.

What disturbed him though was what looked like a set of shackles and chains that were being fixed to a metal plate. Even more disturbing was the fact that not one of vast crowd was questioning the fact.

He looked up at the sky; it was now tinged with the red of dawn and there was a sense of anticipation. He shuddered; it had the feeling of the public executions that had thankfully died a death.

He shivered and set about the real reason he was here; find the others and then find the Doctor.

He began weaving his way through the crowds but had only gone a few yards when a voice boomed out.

"Brothers, sisters...those that come for forgiveness, the time is upon you...the Rising is beginning. Pray for the Chosen One...pray that he will prevail...pray for your souls."

Ianto began to hurry then as people started to fall to their knees and the murmur of prayers filled the air.

He had the awful feeling that time was running short.

* * *

><p>Gwen blinked as light streamed into her dark prison. She could do nothing as she was dragged out of the room and out of the building she was in.<p>

She only started to struggle when she was dragged to the side of the stage that she had seen them erecting and she saw the platform with shackles and the chains.

The man...the Pastor smiled at her. "Witness the Rising Miss Cooper and see what true sacrifice means."

Gwen glared at the so called man of god and spat. "You'll be sorry."

The Pastor smiled again and then walked away.

He walked back to the orchard and found John sitting cross-legged on the grass, eyes closed.

He cleared his throat and John opened his eyes.

"Is it time?"

"Yes son."

Will it hurt?"

"Will what hurt?"

"Dying...that is what is going to happen, isn't it?"

"Perhaps."

"Don't lie to me, to defeat the Tempter I have to die...sacrifice myself. I never was going to survive."

Pastor James sat down opposite John. "I won't lie to you...your death may be painful, I can't really say. Yes, to defeat the Tempter requires a sacrifice and that means you must willingly give yourself to him."

John let out a long breath. "Then so be it."

It was growing impatient, it had had enough of playing gods and demons; it wanted to feast on the Time Lord.

* * *

><p>It let out a snarl and began to transform into its real form and it began to grow. With a roar of anticipation it hammered one large clawed hand on the side of the rock.<p>

Miles above the ground shook.

* * *

><p>The occupants of the cell all rose when the ground rumbled beneath their feet.<p>

"That does not sound good," Agent Johnson said.

"Earthquake," Agent Wilson said.

"I don't think so," Doctor Stoneleigh replied. "I think it's something far worse."

"What can be worse than an earthquake?" Julie said as the ground shook again.

Doctor Stoneleigh looked at Jack, who had remained silent, lost in his own thoughts.

The ground shook again but this time there came the sound of voices.

"That doesn't sound good."

The ground rumbled again and this time it rattled the bars and a trickle of dust and rust fell to the floor.

They looked at each other and then they fell on the bars, pulling and twisting and the bars started to come loose.

They were just pulling out the second bar when the ground shook so violently that it knocked them off their feet and the walls of their cell actually cracked and the bars fell away.

As the rumble died away they heard screaming; but above the screaming they heard another noise.

* * *

><p>The Pastor and John were walking towards the stage area when the ground rumbled the first time.<p>

"It's starting," John said and they increased their pace.

They were nearly at the stage when the second rumble shook the ground. They could hear the nervous murmur of the crowd.

"You better go ahead and calm them," John said.

Pastor James was about to go when they were knocked off their feet by the next shock wave.

Then the screams began, but there were drowned out by the roar.

Pastor James climbed to his feet.

"This isn't right, it's too soon."

John was about to ask what the Pastor meant by that, but another roar drowned out any words.

The roar was followed by more screams and the sound of people running.

John forgot the Pastor and ran for the steps to the stage and scrambled up them and dashed onto the stage.

There was chaos as thousands of people moved like a shoal of fish running from a predator.

He looked over the crowds but couldn't see what was causing them to stampede.

What he did see was that the sky was darkening and the air growing...warmer?

Another roar filled the air and the screams were now coming not from the people at the front but on the wind that was now picking up.

Something else was carried on the wind...a smell; one that made his stomach turn... it was the smell of burning flesh.

Then he felt something drop onto his face...snow?

He wiped his face and looked at his hand...it wasn't snow...it was ash.

Another roar and the crowd moved again.

Another rumble but this time it sounded like a footstep.

He blinked away ash and narrowed his eyes and looked towards the rise.

He couldn't see what was coming but he felt it...he was swamped with rage and contempt and one overwhelming thought...hunger.

Without thinking he leapt off the stage and began pushing through the tide of people, towards the unseen danger.

* * *

><p>Jack was out of the cell before the dust and rubble had cleared, leaving the others behind.<p>

So intent was he on finding the Doctor that he never noticed what was starting to cover the ground...well he didn't until he stumbled and fell and get a mouthful of...what was the stuff...not snow.

He got to his feet and a look of horror crossed his face as the smell and the taste hit him. He knew that smell and that taste; it was one he'd thought he would never have to smell and taste again...it was the smell and taste of humans burning.


	23. Chapter 23

It was like swimming against a tidal wave he thought absently as he pushed through the panicking people. If he'd been human he would have no doubt been one of them...but he wasn't.

Perhaps this was the reason he had survived when the rest of his race had perished, why he had survived every scrape and incident he went through.

All this time he thought his survival was the universe's way of punishing him for not dying in the fiery conflagration of his planet.

But now he could see, as clear as a crisp winter's morning on Gallifrey...he had been saved, saved for his moment.

All the guilt... all the suffering... the loss...the heartache.

Now he knew his true purpose; it was to die here and save humanity.

With one last burst of energy he broke free from the melee and into the clear. He slowed to a walk, feet kicking up ash.

Another roar filled the air and another footfall shook the ground.

He closed his eyes and reached out, seeking the thing that had flooded his mind with emotions.

He opened them, it wasn't here...it was in the town, but that was miles away. His eyes widened in horror...there were thousands of people in the town and in the city beyond that hundreds of thousands.

"No," he said and began to run again.

* * *

><p>Gwen had fallen to the floor when the last rumble had shaken the ground, but she recovered quicker than her guard and was out and onto the stage.<p>

She stared up at the sky which was now dark and foreboding and something that definitely wasn't snow was falling.

She looked down again just in time to see someone jumping from the stage; she blinked whatever it was from her eyes and let out a small gasp...it was the Doctor.

The roar when it came made her flinch and her eyes were taken off the Doctor by the screams of the crowd as it surged towards the stage and people began to clamber onto it

She staggered as the stage groaned; it wasn't designed to withstand what felt like an earthquake.

"No, not here, the gate!" she yelled but her voice was lost in the cacophony of mass panic.

The stage groaned again and this time the crowd heard it and shifted right en mass.

Gwen ran back the way she had come and straight into the arms of the Pastor.

"This is right...it said it wouldn't."

Gwen could see he wasn't really seeing her, his eyes were glazed with panic and his face set in a mask of disbelief.

"It said it only wanted him..."

Gwen attention was taken by the stage letting out a tortured groan and the crack of wood and the snap of metal filled her ears.

"Come on!" she yelled and dragged the Pastor with her.

"My fault...my fault," he said.

The sound of metal shrieking and wood splintering filled her ears.

She tried to run but was hampered by the Pastor and the crowd that was now stampeding towards the gates.

They were swept along with them and she started to panic when she felt she was being taken off her feet.

As she felt herself go a pair of hand grabbed her and pulled her and the Pastor out of the crowd. Only after she drew breath did she look at her rescuer...it was one of the CIA Agents and standing with them were Doctor Stoneleigh, Julie and the other agent, on the edge of the chaos.

Doctor Stoneleigh was on his phone and she heard snatches of conversation, but her main concern was...

"Where are Jack and Ianto?"

"I don't know about Ianto," Julie said. "But Jack went after the Doctor."

The Pastor spoke then. "You have to stop him, it will kill him."

They all looked at him and he visibly shrank. "It lied to me...I was deceived. It's going to kill your Doctor and then kill every human."

They were silent for a few moments then Gwen spoke. "We need a car."

Pastor James spoke again. "That I can help you with, I can only pray it goes some way to my forgiveness."

"That's great, but where have they gone?" Agent Johnson said.

"I know where," the Pastor said.

* * *

><p>Ianto had stopped when the ground had trembled and had stared at the sky as it darkened and what he thought was ash started to fall.<p>

The roar when it came made him jump, but he didn't get time to think about it as someone ran past him; a blur of brown...it couldn't be, could it?

Another roar filled the air and then another sound followed; the sound of metal and wood...the stage!

Forgetting what he thought he saw he turned and started jogging back to where the stage was. He had only gone a few yards when another figure came out of the ash...Jack.

Jack skidded to a halt when he saw a welcome sight in the ash.

"Ianto, the Doctor, he came this way. Did you see him!"

Ianto sighed and said. "He went that way...towards the town I think. But you haven't a hope of catching him on foot. We need a car."

As if by some miracle the roar of engines preceded two 4X4's that skidded to a halt in the ash.

A door opened and the Welsh tones of Gwen Cooper yelled. "Get in!"

They didn't hesitate and dived in as the vehicle sped away.

It was only when he righted himself did Jack see the one person he didn't want to see.

"You," he snarled and went for him but was stopped by Doctor Stoneleigh.

"No Jack, he's helping us."

Jack fell back and glared at the Pastor, concern for the Doctor overriding his anger at the man in front of him.

"Fine, but I will deal with you."

He fell silent then as the vehicle sped in the direction of the town...the direction the Doctor had gone.

* * *

><p>Ash was blinding him as he ran, but he didn't stop. All he could hear was the roars of whatever was in the town.<p>

Up ahead he could see the outskirts of the town and it was ablaze, the orange glow giving it a hellish look.

Another roar rent the air as he entered the town proper.

He slowed then as he began to see the bodies of the dead, some half-burnt and some charred beyond recognition.

The smell was unbearable and he felt his stomach heave, but he fought it down; he had to finish this.

Another roar gave him his direction and he sprinted again and he ran into what was the centre of the town.

Another roar filled the air but this didn't sound like it came from the something alive...it sounded like the engine of a car.

He had to fling himself to one side as a vehicle slewed to a halt in front of him. He started to scramble up and move again but found someone in his way.

"Doctor, don't!" a voice cried.

He ignored it and once again began to move.

Strong hands stopped him again and he whirled round and found himself facing Jack.

"Let me go!" he cried.

The hands tightened some more and in the corner of his eye he could see other figures...no, he couldn't let them stop him.

With a snarl, he lashed out with a foot and connected with Jack's knee but the grip never lessened and now more hands were on him.

"No, no! Please, let me go!"

He jerked when he felt something sting his neck and then the ash and the roar of whatever it was faded and black reigned.


	24. Chapter 24

It had felt the Time Lord enter the town and it roared out its anticipation at the idea of devouring him.

It started to turn away from the fleeing humans, its attention on getting to the Time Lord. It knew that the Time Lord could not see it; the air was so thick with the ash of the dead and the smoke of the fires.

It took a step and where its foot landed the ground cracked and melted. It peered through the smoke and saw the Time Lord, running towards his fate and it roared again.

Then it saw one of the human vehicles shoot out from the smoke and narrowly miss the Time Lord.

One of the humans jumped out and grabbed the Time Lord, who struggled against him, but only for a few seconds before he was overpowered and was placed inside the vehicle.

It roared again as it saw its meal disappearing and it let out a screech of fury and bent at its waist and swept a clawed fist at a building, causing it to crash into the road and stop the vehicle.

It watched as the tiny metal shape turned and began heading the other way. It drew in a huge breath and then exhaled and spat out a huge fireball which set light to the road.

The metal shape did stop then and it saw the humans with the Time Lord scurry away like frightened bugs.

A huge cloud of black smoke obscured its vision, so it could not see where they went. It let out another roar, this time of frustration.

It didn't need the Time Lord to come willingly; clearly that would never happen, not whilst there were obstacles.

In that case it would do as it had on other primitive planets and this one was no different; in fact this one had a way of death that was similar to how it killed.

So it called out to the tiny minds that were running in panic...a sacrifice had to be performed...find the Chosen One...bring him to the meeting place.

* * *

><p>"Drive!" Jack yelled as he and Agent Johnson hauled the unconscious Doctor into the 4x4.<p>

Agent Wilson stomped on the accelerator and the vehicle's wheels spun in the ash before roaring forward.

A screech vibrated the vehicle and the building to the right of them began to collapse.

Brick and glass spilt into the road.

Agent Wilson swore and wrenched the wheel and the 4x4 slewed round and shot forward.

It raced along the ash covered road, heading for the only other way out of the town. As it hurtled towards it a gout of flame shot across it, blocking the vehicle's escape.

This time it did stop.

* * *

><p>"There's no way out!" Agent Wilson cried and hit the steering wheel.<p>

Another roar filled the air and this time the ground shook.

"Everybody out!" Jack shouted and with Ianto's help got the Doctor out and the party scrambled for the nearest building.

They piled into what turned out to be a book store, its contents scattered on polished floors.

The building shook again, as another roar filled the air.

"That is not an earthquake!" Julie yelled.

They had moved to the back of the store and had found a small couch and had laid the Doctor on it. He was beginning to stir, his limbs seeming to twitch in time with the roar.

"Do you have any more of that sedative?" Agent Wilson said.

"It wouldn't matter if I had it won't keep him under for long. We have to find another way out," Jack replied.

"And how do we do that? There's something big and nasty out there and I think we're on its lunch menu," Doctor Stoneleigh said as he peered out of a shattered window.

Ash was falling at an alarming rate and the stench of things burning was wafting through the broken glass.

"I don't think that's the worst of our problems," Agent Johnson said. "Come and look."

Jack and Gwen moved back to the door of the store.

"What the hell!" Jack said.

* * *

><p>Through the ash they could see the beams of flashlights and there was the sound of voices, carried on the breeze created by the fires.<p>

"Find the Chosen One!"

All three ducked as a beam of light swept over the shop, but they weren't quick enough.

"Over here!" a voice cried.

The sound of hundreds of pairs of feet muffled by the ash became louder, as the trio sunk back, hoping that they would be seen as a trick of the light.

For a moment they thought they had escaped detection until a voice rang out from inside the store.

"He's here!"

It was Pastor James.

Jack and the others fought but the numbers were overwhelming and they were dragged out of the store.

When the Doctor was carried out, followed by Pastor James they struggled again.

"Leave him alone!" Jack cried and when he spotted the Pastor he snarled.

"I'll kill you!"

The Doctor was placed in the abandoned 4x4 and was gone.

The rest of them were herded into a truck that had appeared from somewhere and they were now weaving in and out of the ruins of the town and back towards the ruined meeting place.

They were pulled out and shoved into a small building and the door locked.

* * *

><p>Hours later the sound of something being built caught Jack's attention and he got up from the dirt floor and peered out of the small window.<p>

He couldn't quite see what they were building but whatever it was he had that feeling again...the feeling that something awful was about to happen.

He looked up at the sky and if anything it was blacker than before but at least that god forsaken ash had stopped falling. He saw a group of armed men approaching and moved back from the door.

They were once again shoved and pushed until they came to what would have been the space in front of the stage.

They all stopped when they saw what had been built in place of the stage.

It was something out of history...the darkest part of human history.

It seemed like ages before something else happened but the whole area surrounding the sick construction had been filled with people.

A few minutes after Pastor James appeared and Jack fervently wished he was free.

Pastor James cleared his throat and spoke loudly and clearly.

"Brothers, sister...the Rising has occurred and you and the whole world's souls are damned!"

A groan rippled through the crowd.

"No, save us Pastor!" the cry went up.

The Pastor held up his hands. "There was a way but that way was corrupted. The Chosen One has been defiled and there is only one way to stop your damnation!"

Cries of 'How!" filled the air.

"As your forefathers once did to cleanse the Tempter from a lost soul...the cleansing heat of God's fire!"

* * *

><p>His head felt like it had been trampled by various herds of elephants and any other heavy creature he could think of.<p>

He let out a groan and opened one eye...he was in cell, what was he doing in a cell again?

He drew in a breath and almost gagged at the taste and the smell that assaulted him. It was smell he never wished to smell...the smell of death.

He had no idea where he was, which worried him and his time sense was off, but he felt that something was very wrong.

There was no window, so he couldn't tell if it was day or night.

He didn't have time to think on it as his cell door was opened and he was pulled up and dragged outside.

The sky was black but it wasn't night and there was ash covering the ground and that smell was overpowering...what had happened?

As he was shoved along he heard something...people and they had an edge to their voices that he didn't like; it had the sound of religious fervour.

It was only when they turned a corner did he see...no!

Something caught his eye and he turned his head...it was Jack and the rest of his team and was that Doctor Stoneleigh, plus three people he didn't recognise.

They were all tied up and his stomach flipped...but when he saw what was beyond all fear for his friends was gone and fear for himself took over.

He began to struggle then and he thought he could hear Jack's voice but that to was lost when he was hauled up a set of steps and no matter how he struggled he was placed against a wooden post and chained to it.

Another voice rang out. "And the fire shall cleanse the soul of the evil of the Tempter as the mortal flesh is burnt away. The spirit of the corrupted will go to heaven and be cleansed in the love of God!"

When he saw three men approach with burning torches he began to panic...dear god, they were going to burn him at the stake.

He could do nothing as the men lit the wood and with frightening speed the flames consumed the wood.

He twisted his head and could see Jack and the others struggling against their guards.

He started to cough as the smoke began filling his lungs but he knew the smoke wouldn't kill him...the fire would.

He turned his eyes from the smoke and the fire and sought out Jack and he locked onto him and he shook his head.

As the flames licked at the wood near his feet he closed his eyes and waited for the pain that was to come.


	25. Chapter 25

_**I hope you don't see this at a cop-out but there is more to**_** come...**

Jack's heart began to race when he saw the Doctor dragged into the centre of the mob...he had that sick feeling in his gut again. His heart actually lurched when the Doctor was dragged up the steps and chained to the wooden post.

When he saw the torches he began to struggle.

"No!" he screamed as the men set light to the wood.

He fought to free himself from the two men holding him but their grip was solid and even if he did get free, he doubted he would get anywhere near the pyre...which it was going to be.

Then his eyes locked with the Doctor's and the shake of the Doctor's head sent terror through him...then he saw the Doctor's head drop.

The Doctor wasn't even going to fight to survive.

Where was a miracle when you needed one? He didn't believe in a deity but he would pray to every one of them for a miracle.

But as this moment his whole world consisted of the person he loved being immolated; the voices around him faded to muffled whispers.

All he could see was the flames as they crept up the wood, licking hungrily in their anticipation of devouring flesh and sinew and boiling blood.

So he never heard a sound that would in anyone's book be a miracle...

* * *

><p>"Unit Base, we have visual contact...do you want us to intervene...yes ma'am...what about Sanction Five...yes ma'am, understood. Raptor Two, this is Raptor One, descend and use your fire-retardant...Raptor Three...warning shots only for now...ground Units move in."<p>

* * *

><p>Ianto was the first to hear it and his heart leapt...he recognise that sound...Apache Longbow helicopters and out of the smoke they appeared, living up to their nickname 'The Angel of Death'<p>

What wasn't silent was the burst of gunfire that strafed the area between the crowd and the pyre.

The crowd ducked as one, just as another Apache swooped over the blaze and a cloud of white covered it like snow.

It was like a candle being blown out as the flames were starved of the fuel they needed to burn.

This elicited a collective cry from the crowd and unbelievably someone burst out of the crowd with a lit torch...it was Pastor James.

He never made it to the pyre as a single shot exploded his heart.

The crowd were silenced and only the noise of the Apaches' filled the air.

The shouts of people behind them broke their silence and the crowd was parted by groups of men in black uniforms.

The men holding Jack and the others let go as weapons were aimed at them and the crowd was forced away from the execution site.

* * *

><p>Only then did Jack react and despite warnings from the others and the soldiers that the wood was still hot, he clambered up the scorched and charred wood, not caring if it burnt his hands...the Doctor was all that mattered.<p>

He never noticed Doctor Stoneleigh following him.

All he saw was the Doctor, who was now slumped forward, only the chains holding him up.

"Doctor!" Jack yelled, but there was no response.

He moved closer but stopped, he could feel the heat radiating from the chains and there was the smell of scorched clothes and...

"No!" he cried and went to grab hold of the chains.

A pair of hands stopped him; it was Doctor Stoneleigh.

"No Captain...too late."

He began to pull Jack away, speaking softly. "Come away Captain, let UNIT deal with him."

"He's not dead...he can't be," Jack whispered.

"Just be glad the smoke killed him," Doctor Stoneleigh said.

"No."

* * *

><p>It was then that the Doctor decided to take in a huge whoop of air.<p>

"Doctor!" Jack cried and wrenched out of Doctor Stoneleigh's hands and ignoring the too hot chains did his best to hug the Doctor.

The Doctor let out a groan and then began coughing.

"Will someone get up here and remove these chains!" Doctor Stoneleigh yelled.

Jack refused to let anyone but himself near the Doctor as he helped the Doctor of what could have been his funeral pyre.

The Doctor really wasn't with it and Jack was practically carrying him off the wooden pile.

He gently laid him on the grass and using the water flask Doctor Stoneleigh had given, he washed the soot of the fire from the Doctor's face, scowling when he saw the beginnings of burns on the Doctor's face.

The Doctor coughed again and this time he opened his eyes.

Jack smiled and then frowned when the Doctor's eyes widened in horror and said.

"What have you done?"

As if in answer to his question a roar rent the air and what sounded like a rumble of thunder filled the air.

He tried to get up but Jack put a restraining hand on him.

"What have you done?"

* * *

><p>It couldn't believe what it had seen...how could things have gone so wrong?<p>

It was a mistake using these stupid insects; it would have to do it itself.

With a roar it moved and its footfalls sound like thunder as it hit the ground.

* * *

><p>Another roar echoed across the darkened smoke filled sky and the Doctor tensed under Jack's hand.<p>

He looked up at Jack and Jack saw fear in his eyes.

"It's coming."


	26. Chapter 26

The Doctor tried to get up again, but once again he was stopped by Jack's hand.

"It's coming ...let me up."

"No," Jack said.

"Let me up," the Doctor growled.

Jack shook his head.

"Let me up," the Doctor snarled. "It's coming."

He tried to get up again but more pressure was put on his chest.

"Harkness," he rumbled.

"No Doctor, not this time."

"Let me up," he repeated, his tone now threatening.

That was a mistake, as the hand closed on his jacket and pulled him up, until he was eyeball to eyeball with Jack.

"I said no Doctor. You nearly died on me today...no more. You say it's coming, what is it?"

"I don't know, but it's angry."

"How can you tell if you don't know what it is?"

"Because it's in my head!" the Doctor snapped.

* * *

><p>Jack had expected the Doctor to try and get up; the roar of whatever it was had made that inevitable.<p>

He'd even expected the Doctor to growl at him, snarl at him even. But when he heard the menace in the Doctor's voice, it raised his hackles.

He grabbed a fistful of the Doctor's jacket and hauled him up. "I said no Doctor. You nearly died on me today...no more. You say it's coming, what is it?"

The answer he got wasn't what he wanted to hear. How could the Doctor say it was angry and not know what it was?

Again he got an answer he didn't expect or want. "How can it be inside your head?"

As the Doctor went to speak another roar filled the air and the Doctor's face tightened like he was in pain.

"Let me go!" he gasped.

Jack shook his head...there was no way he was going to let the Doctor face whatever it was alone.

"Please Jack! You have to get everyone away from here."

"Nu-uh, I'm going with you."

The Doctor's face tightened again.

With a surge of strength he wrenched free of Jack's grip and got to his knees but no further.

He clutched at his head and roared." Get out of my head!"

Jack sighed, there was no way the Doctor was going to go voluntarily; he needed time to re-group and figure out how to fight whatever this thing was.

Once again, he was going to have to do something that could drive a wedge between himself and the Doctor.

"Agents," he called. "Can I have your assistance?"

He waited until the two agents were within a few yards, then he moved and grabbed the Doctor, who knew instantly what he was doing.

"No, please! Let me go!" he yelled and lashed out, but his arm was caught by Agent Johnson.

"Jack, please!" he cried as Agent Wilson grabbed his other arm.

"Get him out of here," Jack said and turned away.

"Ianto, Gwen, help get these people moving. Doctor Stoneleigh, a word."

* * *

><p>It was then that whatever it was chose to make its move.<p>

A huge foot appeared out of the black cloud and the screams of the people it crushed would stay with Jack forever.

They didn't even have time to react as the foot came down again, this time near the crowd which moved away in panic.

It was chaos and every man and woman for themselves and in the middle of it all was Jack and Doctor Stoneleigh.

Jack looked round, frantically looking for the others but especially the two agents and the Doctor.

When he saw the huge hand sweep towards the Doctor he ran...past the Doctor and straight into the open be-clawed hand.

It closed around him and the crushing pressure cracked his ribs as it squeezed.

The owner of the hand let out a roar and Jack smelt something as he died...sulphur?

* * *

><p>The Doctor knew as soon as Jack reached for him that Jack wasn't going to let him go and the two agents that were holding him now confirmed that.<p>

He'd begged and pleaded for them to let him go...let him go to the thing that was inside his head.

But they were not listening and then chaos had rained down on them.

The two agents had let go of him when the foot had crushed hundreds of people under it.

He didn't waste the opportunity and ran, not away from the danger but towards it.

He didn't hear and see the huge hand but he saw someone run past him.

He whipped round and froze...that someone had been Jack and he was disappearing into the sky, in the hand of whatever it was.

"No!" he cried and took off again, following the echoes of the footsteps.

He never noticed when the ash began to fall or the scenery change around him as he ran into the town.

He ran past the ruined buildings, following the footfalls of whatever it was.

He had to stop when the footfalls ceased; it was only then that he took in his surrounding and when he did it caused a shiver to run through him.

This was exactly like his vision.

He blinked away ash as another roar filled the air.

The sound of something falling to the ground behind him, made his blood run cold.

He turned and his hearts froze...Jack.

He moved then and went to his knees, ignoring the ash and the stench of the dead and whatever was somewhere above him.

Blood marred Jack's handsome features and it looked like his body had been crushed; it would be painful when he came back to life.

Minutes went by and nothing happened and the Doctor felt a frisson of worry.

"Jack?" he said and reached and touched Jack's face and reeled back.

"No, no, no," he whispered.

"No!" he screamed...he was dead...Jack Harkness was dead.


	27. Chapter 27

He sat in the ashes of the dead, unable to move.

Jack's body lay a few feet away, broken and devoid of life...yet he still couldn't bring himself to move.

He couldn't be dead...it wasn't possible. He was a constant point in the ebb and flow of time, one he had focused on when he felt lost; one that brought him home...well, his adopted home.

The ash was falling again, but he didn't care if he drowned in it...he was dead.

No, he wouldn't believe it...he'd been dead for Rassilon knows how long after his brush with Abaddon, so why was he worried? It had only been twenty-four hours.

He decided then that he should cover Jack, keep him warm. He removed his jacket and forced himself to move. He swallowed back the bile that threatened to rise into his throat.

He covered Jack's torso and looked at his face. "I'll have to get you back to the TARDIS, see to your injuries."

He brushed a lock of hair from Jack's face. "And you're filthy, all this ash. I have a bathroom with your name on it and there's plenty of that stuff in the blue bottle...you know the one that you say makes me smell like Christmas."

He brushed away more of the ash and gently ran a hand down Jack's face. "You know, I really didn't mind the flirting...well except when you flirted with my companions, that's a no-no. But flirting with me, it was all part of the game, wasn't it? Chase me in the hope that I might fall...as if. But there's always hope, right?"

He stopped then and looked up at the black sky. "Besides, we have a big bad something to deal with. There'll be all that running, eh?"

He looked back down and wished he had some water to wash the dried blood of Jack's face.

"You'll stain your shirt. Ianto will never get that out. It's a nice shirt...I always liked that shirt..." He trailed off, his thoughts causing him to fall silent.

He had run out of words, now all he could do was wait.

* * *

><p>He was still waiting hours later when Gwen spotted him, a dark smudge in a grey landscape.<p>

In the chaos of the things attack they had been forced to abandon the town and could do nothing as whatever it was had blazed a murderous trail across the state. It was now threatening the whole country and it wasn't likely that it would stop at destroying the States.

Unless they found a way to stop it, the whole world was in danger.

It didn't help that it had the ability to make itself invisible. Not that it needed to, as whatever UNIT or the military threw at it had no effect.

The only ones who might have a chance of stopping it were missing, so the decision was made to drop the two Torchwood operatives and Doctor Stoneleigh back into the ruined town and find the Doctor and Jack.

That had been several hours ago and they had been searching without success.

The stink of death had been overwhelming and for what seemed like miles they had been walking on charred bones.

* * *

><p>Gwen wiped sweat from her eyes and then stopped when she thought she saw something; a flash of colour in the grey landscape.<p>

She blinked away ash and sweat and narrowed her eyes...yes a flash of familiar brown.

"Ianto, Doctor Stoneleigh," she said and began moving again.

The dark shape in the ash didn't move as they approached, not even when Ianto's breath caught when he saw Jack's bloodied body.

Gwen crouched down next to the Doctor, who didn't register her presence.

"Doctor?" she said softly...no response and his eyes looked unfocused. She looked over at Ianto and Doctor Stoneleigh, who were checking Jack.

"He's dead," he whispered.

"I can see that, but is there any sign of him coming back?"

"You don't understand...I think he's dead," Ianto said in a small voice, a tear rolling down his cheek.

Gwen looked at Doctor Stoneleigh who nodded sadly before speaking. "I think he really is dead."

His words finally sank in and she moved from the Doctor and over to Jack and looked closer at him.

He didn't look any different to the other times he'd been dead, but something felt different.

"Oh no," she said softly.

She turned back to the Doctor...he would know, would have felt it; no wonder he was away with fairies.

She looked him in the eyes. "Doctor?"

She got a response, a twitch of an eyebrow.

"Doctor, how long has Jack been dead?" there was no way to sugar-coat it.

The Doctor blinked and his eyes focused on her. "A day...I think, but he'll be back soon. His ribs will hurt though, he broke all of them."

* * *

><p>Doctor Stoneleigh moved away from Jack and crouched down next to Gwen.<p>

"He must be in shock...if he's connected to Jack like you say he is, it would be too much and denial is better than reality."

"But how can he be dead?" Ianto said, wiping tears away. "Not even Abaddon could kill him."

"Well this thing did," Doctor Stoneleigh said. He put a hand on the Doctor's shoulder. "You felt him die, didn't you?"

The Doctor looked at him. "I always feel him die. I feel it when he comes back too, which will be soon. We have work to do."

Doctor Stoneleigh glanced over at Gwen and Ianto, both of whom had tears in their eyes.

He took a breath before speaking again. "Doctor, he's dead."

The Doctor smiled. "Yes, I know. It might be a while, but he will come back."

"No Doctor, he's dead."

The Doctor gave him his 'stupid ape' look. "Of course he's dead. A fall like that would kill anyone. But not Jack, he'll wake up and complain that his shirt is ruined. I like that shirt...he'll never get it clean."

Doctor Stoneleigh sighed. "He's in denial. We can't deal with it here."

"I'll call UNIT, "Ianto said, his manner professional and his voice devoid of emotion.

Doctor Stoneleigh nodded and then said to Gwen. "We need to get him away from Jack, can you do that?"

Gwen nodded. "He thinks he's coming back."

Doctor Stoneleigh nodded. "Be careful, he may not want to go. So I want you to give him this."

He handed her a syringe. "Serum Five, a double dose."

Gwen took it and turned back to the Doctor.

He didn't seem to notice her roll up his sleeve, not until he felt the sting of the needle.

"Gwen, what are you doing? I need to be here for Jack."

"I'm sorry," she said as his eyes rolled back and he slumped into the ash.


	28. Chapter 28

The journey back to the UNIT camp was a quiet and sombre one.

No-one wanted to look at the sheet-covered body, nor at the unconscious figure propped up between two UNIT soldiers.

They landed and Ianto went with Jack's body; he wanted to make sure that no over-eager UNIT scientists go their hands on him.

Gwen and Doctor Stoneleigh attended to the Doctor; not that there was much to do. But they knew he wouldn't stay sedated for much longer and it only put of the ugly truth for a few more hours at the most.

They would have to force the Doctor to see the truth of it...Jack was dead.

"I wonder if we should do this." Gwen said. "He's not exactly been stable lately. This might push him over the edge again."

Doctor Stoneleigh pulled one of the Doctor's eyelids up. "We'll know soon, he's coming round."

* * *

><p>The Doctor pushed his way past the sedative that clouded his mind. As he did a memory reared its unwelcome head and he came to with a start.<p>

"Jack!" he cried and tried to get up.

A pair of hands grabbed his shoulders and tried to push him down.

"No...Jack!" he cried again and fought against the hands. He heard a woman's voice...a woman's voice, speaking softly but firmly to him.

"It's alright, ssh now," the voice said.

But he wasn't going to listen...he only wanted to know one thing...was it true...the one thing that was impossible.

He looked in the direction of the voice and saw Gwen.

"He's dead, isn't he?"

Gwen said nothing, unsure of what to say.

"Is he dead?"

Gwen nodded and moved back at the look that crossed the Doctor's face.

"I want to see him," the Doctor said in quiet voice.

"I don't think that's wise," Doctor Stoneleigh said, tightening his grip on the Doctor's shoulders.

The look directed at him would have burnt worlds. "I want to see him."

"I'm sorry, but no," Doctor Stoneleigh said.

"You don't tell me what I should do or not do," he snarled back.

He shrugged away Doctor Stoneleigh's hands and got off the bed. A UNIT guard moved to stop him and he snarled. "Do you really want me to force my way past you?"

The guard looked at Doctor Stoneleigh, who nodded and the guard stepped back.

The Doctor didn't even look back and left the med-tent.

* * *

><p>Ianto looked up when the door to the temporary morgue opened and he started when he saw it was the Doctor.<p>

However, he didn't like the look on the Doctor's face and the snarled "Get out!" confirmed the foul mood the powerful alien was in.

He knew better than to challenge him, plus he understood; he was probably closer to Jack than anyone else.

"I'll leave the water and cloth," he said as he left.

* * *

><p>The Doctor moved the chair that Ianto had vacated and tested the water in the bowl; it was too cold. He took out the sonic and heated the water, not too hot, just the right temperature.<p>

He soaked the cloth, wrung it out and started to wipe the blood from Jack. He was thorough and allowed no emotion to cloud his hearts, tried to not to see the livid bruises where whatever it was had crushed the life out of him...that was until he came to Jack's face.

He made sure the cloth was as clean as it could be and gently began washing the blood from his face. Until then he'd succeeded in remaining impassive and had not spoken a word.

"I was a coward, Jack. I ran when I felt you come back to life...it frightened me...you terrified me. I could feel you, wherever and whenever I went...a fixed point, always there. Until Utopia I tried, I really tried to avoid being in the same time as you but you were always there."

He gently cleaned the blood from around Jack's eyes and did his best to wash the blood from his hair.

"Then you did the impossible and clung onto the TARDIS, just so you could see me again. She's sorry by the way, the TARDIS, but she was acting on instinct. A bit like me, I suppose. But after the...well you know, it didn't seem so important then and I kind of liked having you around."

He finished washing what blood he could from Jack's hair.

"I'm giving you a Time Lord Burial of sorts...the washing is part of it. I don't have the spices and I can't build you a funeral pyre but I can at least give you entrance to the hereafter."

He closed his eyes and let out a breath and began speaking.

"Na ist mi t'asla tia si se'vaha. I ask you grant him entrance to the Plains of Eternity. He is not of my kind but he has the spirit of my kind. Grant him entrance and give him peace."

He stopped then, unable to bring himself to say the words as a wave of grief overwhelmed him.

His hearts lurched and his legs turned to water and he fell to his knees a groan that came from the depths escaped him.

He raised his head to the ceiling and let out a howl that was ripped from his very soul.

"It should have been me!" he roared.

* * *

><p><em>Na ist mi t'asla tia si se'vaha<em> -This is my plea to the spirits.


	29. Chapter 29

The howl that came from the tent made Ianto and the UNIT soldiers guarding the morgue start and the guards started to move, but Ianto shook his head.

He looked over at the tent and could only wonder at what the Doctor must be feeling; if he felt anything like he himself felt then he must be in emotional agony.

Perhaps he should offer the Doctor some solace; a shoulder to lie some of the burden on.

Cautiously he entered the morgue and found the Doctor standing by Jack, as motionless as when they had found him in the town.

He was unsure of whether he should speak, but the Doctor spoke first.

"Did you love him?"

Ianto let out a breath but didn't reply.

"Did you love him?"

Ianto finally found his voice. "Yes."

The Doctor laughed, it sounded hollow and emotionless. "What do you know of love, with your tiny minds, pumped full of chemicals and hormones, telling you that it's love...stupid apes."

Ianto bridled at the derisive tone in the Doctor's voice; grieving or not, there was no need to belittle humanity.

"At least he knew I loved him...this stupid ape told him. But the mighty Time Lord couldn't."

He steeled himself for the inevitable consequences of his words, but it never came.

The Doctor let out a shuddering breath and looked at Ianto and he saw a universe of hurt and loss in those eyes.

"I'm sorry, that was uncalled for...I should go... you should be here, not me."

Ianto stepped forward and placed a hand on the Doctor's shoulder. He could see the unshed tears glistening in the Doctor's eyes; even now he refused to grieve, not wanting to show weakness.

"Stay, I know you loved him and I know he loved you and I should be jealous, but I'm not. Why, because I know you would never take Jack away from me by telling him and for that I can't hate you."

The Doctor turned away and put one hand in his pocket.

He turned back and placed one hand on Ianto's face and gave him a sad smile. He withdrew his other hand and to Ianto's shock and surprise the Doctor took hold of his face and kissed him.

He didn't even have time to register that is was an excellent kiss before his world started to dim.

* * *

><p>The Doctor caught him as he collapsed and laid him on the floor. "Make sure they don't cut him up."<p>

He turned back to Jack and gently kissed him on the lips and allowed a single tear to fall onto his cold flesh.

He put his mouth next to Jack's ear and whispered in his own language."Irlia rasi isha."

He turned away then...time to finish this.

He stepped out of the tent and a solitary glance at the guards allowed him to move away without interference.

He stopped once he'd reached the outskirts of the UNIT camp. He closed his eyes and reached out into the psychic plain, searching for the thing that had killed Jack.

He took in a breath when he felt it...it was distant, almost out of his minds reach. It was thousands of miles away and if his mental map of the States was correct it was tearing its way across Utah.

He had to stop this...but how? He had no TARDIS and calling her here would only create unwanted attention...then he saw something.

* * *

><p>Gwen and Doctor Stoneleigh were busy studying the latest updates of the things progress...it wasn't good.<p>

It had carved its way across the country, decimating towns and cities. Millions of refugees were pouring into the areas not yet under attack and the ash of the slaughtered was falling and covering those that hadn't died at the claws and feet of in but in the conflagrations that it left in its wake.

They were discussing what could be done to at least slow its progress when the shouts of alarm rang out across the camp.

They stepped out of the tent and saw that UNIT soldiers were sprinting towards the vehicle compound.

They started to walk towards it and when shots were heard they broke into a run.

The sound of an engine being pushed to its limits filled the air and Doctor Stoneleigh only just managed to pull Gwen out of the way of the jeep that loomed out of the dark.

She only got a fleeting glimpse at the driver but she didn't need to see clearly to know who it was...it could only be the Doctor.

The jeep careered into the dark, made darker by the ash that clogged the sky, but there was no sign of pursuit.

Righting themselves, the pair ran into the compound and found the reason why...every other mode of transport was steaming quietly.

"Damn him," Doctor Stoneleigh said. He turned to Gwen. "You do know where he's going, well trying to go."

Gwen nodded. "And I don't think anyone's going to be able to stop him. The helicopters can't fly because of the ash and if he wants fuel, every station between here and Utah will be deserted."

"We can't let him face that thing alone," he replied and gestured to one of the UNIT soldiers. "How long before you can get us a working vehicle?"

"He's done a lot of damage, but I think we can get you one within a couple of hours."

Doctor Stoneleigh nodded. "Good man, I think perhaps we should warn the Sacramento branch that they have incoming. They might have a chance to stop him before he does something rash. I wonder where Mr Jones has got to?"

* * *

><p>Ianto felt like his head had been stuffed with cotton wool and he had the distinct taste of...was that toffee apple in his mouth?<p>

Then it came to him...the Doctor...that kiss...he'd drugged him. He shot up and looked over and sighed with relief, Jack's body was still there.

He frowned and got up...was Jack's skin looking less pale?

He moved closer and his eyes widened in shock...the bruises were definitely lighter and there was flush to the grey skin.

Could it be? Dare he hope?

He jumped when Jack took in a huge whoop of air and Ianto's heart leapt with pure joy.

Jack was alive!

* * *

><p><em><strong>Irlia rasi isha<strong> _– I love you


	30. Chapter 30

The pain had been excruciating as the thing had tightened its grip on him. He felt dizzy from the lack of oxygen and the speed at which he was pulled into the air.

Whatever the thing was it was huge, perhaps even bigger than Abaddon. He was in no doubt that he was going to die, that was a given. The pain was something he could do without, but it would be short and at least it had given the Doctor a chance to get away.

As he felt his life slipping away he smiled but the smiled faded when the pain didn't stop and instead of the pain free darkness that usually accompanied his death, he found himself in a version he'd never experienced and it was painful in the extreme.

He found he was trapped and the screams of things unseen tortured his ears...was he in hell?

If he was in hell...was he dead, truly dead? If he was then life had one hell of a sick sense of timing.

He hadn't forgotten that kiss back at the cell, it still tingled on his lips and the passion behind had burnt into his mind. Was the one good thing about this the fact that the Doctor had shown his true feelings?

The screams of what now sounded like tortured souls was starting to get to him, and he wondered how long it would be before he would be one of them.

The screams were beginning to grate on his ears and then just as he thought he could take no more he heard it...an angels' voice and the feather-like touch of someone's lips.

Something burnt against his skin and the screams began to fade as the familiar rush back to life began.

He came to with the familiar rush of air and the taste of something exotic on his lips; a taste he'd only recently experienced...the Doctor.

The squeak of surprise he heard was not the Doctor and he shot up and looked over...it was Ianto.

Where was the Doctor?

"Doctor!" he cried out.

* * *

><p>Ianto fell back and let out a undignified squeak of shock and alarm.<p>

Jack was back and not just in his normal death defying way.

It certainly must have had something to do with the Doctor, what he wasn't sure. Whatever it was, it was something amazing, wonderful and so very Doctor.

He jumped when Jack sat up and tried to stand and only just caught him.

"Steady, you've been dead for a long time."

Jack looked at Ianto and he could see panic in his eyes as he looked round.

"Where's the Doctor?"

* * *

><p>Gwen and Doctor Stoneleigh were heading back towards the tented area, looking for Ianto when they saw what they thought must be a ghost.<p>

But when the saw Ianto behind the figure, they knew it wasn't.

"Jack!" Gwen cried and flung her arms around him, hugging him to make sure he was real.

"If that don't beat it all," Doctor Stoneleigh said. "You were dead...not your version of dead but dead, dead."

Jack disentangled himself from Gwen and turned to Doctor Stoneleigh. "No time to discuss that now. Where's the Doctor?"

"He what!" he said as Doctor Stoneleigh examined him. "Why didn't they try to stop him?"

"The Doctor is very adept at sabotage," Doctor Stoneleigh replied. "We'll be lucky to get one vehicle working."

"Can't they use copters'?"

Gwen shook her head. "The ash in the air is too dense and they've lost one too many to that thing."

Jack brushed away Doctor Stoneleigh's hand and stood up. "I'm going to find him, even if I have to track him by foot."

"You don't have to," Ianto spoke for the first time since Jack had come back to life. "You know where's he's gone."

Jack looked at Ianto. "Yeah," he said.

"We've informed UNIT, they're in a better position at the moment to find him and bring him in."

When Jack went to protest, he held up his hand. "But, as soon as the engineers have fixed a jeep, we'll go after him."

Jack nodded, but they could see he wasn't happy.

He sighed, the Doctor had gone after that thing, thinking that he was still dead and he knew what the Doctor would do, because he would have done the same.

"You should rest," Doctor Stoneleigh said. "We'll wake you when the jeep is fixed."

They left him alone then, alone with his thoughts.

He ran his tongue over his lips. They tasted of cinnamon, ginger and strawberry and that unidentified unique something...the Doctor.

He touched his fingers to his lips and blew a kiss in the direction the Doctor had gone.

"I love you too."

* * *

><p>The Doctor drove along the ash covered road, the excitement of the theft of the jeep long gone.<p>

He stopped the jeep at a crossroads, not because he was unsure of which way to go, but because he couldn't see clearly.

An image of Jack's body flashed in his mind and the tears had started to flow and he'd tried to wipe them away as he drove but to no effect.

So he stopped and let the tears flow, let his grief flow.

His chest felt like it was on fire as he sobbed, but he couldn't stop and all of his heartache flowed and he let out another howl and took in a shuddering breath.

"Stupid, stupid Time Lord. Love isn't for you, everything dies that you love."

He pressed his palms against his eyes and wiped away the tears.

"Enough," he said to himself. "Vengeance has no place for tears or love."

He started the jeep and turned right, following the faint psychic trail left by whatever it was.

He would destroy it or it would destroy him; either way, he had no intention of coming out of this alive.


	31. Chapter 31

It strode across the desert, looking for more of these puny humans to crush. It had killed the stupid human that had deprived it of the Time Lord, but in doing that it had lost its intended meal.

It still had the bitter taste in its mouth and its mind from the one that had deprived it of the Time Lord. It had looked and felt human, yet it felt there was something different about it.

It had lost its connection with the Time Lord and it did not have the energy to try again; it needed the energy the Time Lord would provide him. But it wasn't particularly worried, if it had to devour this whole world, then it would.

It would give it the energy to leave this backwater world and find a planet where it could draw another Time Lord; their arrogance would assure that.

It could feel the mass of humanity fleeing from it, like animals being herded to slaughter. It had been so long since it had devastated worlds...so long since it had been imprisoned...so long since it had tasted Time Lord.

Its only regret was that it have never found the home world of its jailers...it had never found Gallifrey.

* * *

><p>The Doctor had been driving for a good few hours and his body was protesting. It wanted him to stop, it needed to heal.<p>

The fire may not have touched his flesh, but the chains had cut into the flesh beneath his clothes and his body was now reminding him of it.

He shifted in his seat and his back started to feel like it was on fire. A pain shot through his spine, causing him to swerve off the road and into a deep bank of ash.

His head reeled from the impact and after allowing his head to clear, he gunned the engine, but like snow, the ash made the tyres spin.

With a cry of frustration, he hauled himself out of the jeep and stumbled to the back of the jeep.

He let out a sigh, he had no spade; he would have to use his hands.

His body complained as he began scooping the ash away and he never noticed the blood dripping to the floor, staining the ash.

It took him too long to clear the ash from the tyres and he felt every cut as he straightened...he really needed to treat his wounds.

He climbed back into the jeep and a few metres later he saw a sign for Topeka and realised he'd passed into Kansas without knowing...there were hospitals in Topeka.

* * *

><p>Jack had lost patience with resting and was now helping the mechanics fix the jeeps. In any other situation he would have laughed; Doctor Stoneleigh was right, the Doctor was a very proficient saboteur.<p>

They had to cannibalise several jeeps to get working parts for two jeeps and it was taking far too long.

He only stopped when Ianto forced him to take a break and shoved him towards the mess tent.

"Ianto," he growled as a plate of food and hot coffee was placed in front of him.

Ianto ignored the growled word. "It won't help if you pass out from lack of food and liquid. We know where he's heading..."

Jack cut him off with a glare. "Thanks for reminding me that one of my friends is about to let himself be eaten by a big something."

"UNIT will pick him up."

"No, they won't and you know that. He won't be caught and the longer we're stuck here, the closer he gets ..."

Jack bit his own words off and looked away and down, not wanting Ianto or anyone else to see his tears.

He felt Ianto's hand cover his. "Jack, he doesn't know you're alive. He thinks he has nothing to live for."

He let out a small laugh. "For an alien, he's being very human."

Jack looked up then.

"He may never tell you, but I saw the way he acted when you were dead. He loves you Jack and I know that you love him. But I'm okay with it, you never really were mine. Just promise me one thing."

Jack wiped away a tear. "What?"

"If he never tells you he loves you...don't tell him you do. You know he'll stay and that would kill him. Better to let him go, then he's more likely to come back."

Jack smiled then, firstly at Ianto's admission that he loved him enough to give him up and then at the oft dreamt of idea that someone as unique and rare as the Doctor could love some like him.

"First we have to stop him and stop that thing."

Jack was just finishing the food that Ianto had placed in front of him, when Gwen strode into the tent.

"The jeeps are ready."

That had been an hour ago and they were now on their way towards the state line. If the Doctor was heading straight for the thing, then he wouldn't have wasted time.

It seemed that fortune was on their side as no more ash had fallen since the Doctor's escape and there was only one set of tracks.

"Looks like he going straight as a dye," Doctor Stoneleigh said as he climbed back into the jeep.

Jack nodded and started off again, following the tracks, far too slowly for his liking.

They passed out of Missouri and into Kansas and the stopped again when the tracks veered off.

Jack and Ianto got out and studied the tracks.

"He's come off the road," Jack said.

Ianto moved forward and he spotted the blood. "Jack, I think he's injured."

He knelt down and touched the blood. "Still fresh, he can't be far ahead."

Jack frowned and looked ahead. "No footprints, he must still be in the jeep. There's a sign up ahead for Topeka, the tracks go that way."

"He must be looking for a hospital, but they'll be deserted."

Ianto checked the virtual map he'd borrowed from UNIT. "Nearest hospital is St Francis, but Topeka is still fifty miles away and the hospital is three mile in."

"Then we go to Topeka," Jack said.

* * *

><p>The Doctor drove into the now deserted city and saw another sign for St-Francis Hospital.<p>

It wasn't far and there was no-one to stop him; the city was devoid of everything but the dead and the dogs that he saw roaming the streets. He accelerated, you could never trust dogs; they always revert to the wolf without humans to dominate the and they looked hungry.

He pulled up outside the Emergency Department and walked right in making sure that he sealed the doors, the pack of dogs had followed him and could no doubt smell the dried blood from his injuries.

He eventually found what he wanted and gathered them and settled himself on one of the gurneys.

The lights were flickering, which was going to make his job harder; but he nothing if not flexible.

He groaned as he reached round and tried to apply the antiseptic cream to his back. He hissed as it stung and he wrapped the bandages around his torso as best he could and groaned again as he pulled them tight.

He looked at the clock on the wall, he had a good head start and they wouldn't know exactly where he was...maybe just a little sleep; he was so tired.

He picked up the bottle of pain- killers that contained no aspirin in them and swallowed three. They wouldn't stop the pain, but would lesson it to a dull ache and they would make him sleepy enough to drop off.

He leant back against the pillows and closed his eyes, feeling the pain killers start to work, but he opened them a few minute later, his head fuzzed with sleep and the pain killers.

He froze as he heard the scratching of claws against polished floors...the dogs had gotten in!


	32. Chapter 32

Jack watched the road, acutely aware of the distance and the all too slow speed they were travelling at. He had that sick feeling in his stomach, that something was wrong, not the creature that was rampaging across the States.

Something told him the Doctor was in trouble.

* * *

><p>The Doctor knew that he had to move, if he stayed, the dogs would find him. He cursed his stupidity in taking those pain-killers; he wouldn't outrun a rock in his present condition.<p>

He stopped breathing and enhanced his hearing. The dogs were still in the waiting area, but it wouldn't last and they would eventually catch his scent.

Stifling a groan, he got off the gurney, trying his best to clear the fog that clouded his head. He shook his head and stumbled slightly, touching a discarded trolley, which rattled.

He froze as there was silence, as every pair of ears would have swivelled in his direction and every nose would have twitched...his chance of sneaking away was gone.

The pack began moving again...the hunt was on.

He had to get out of the hospital and back to the jeep, but his choices were extremely limited.

It was a choice of going through the dogs or run.

If he faced the dogs, there was every possibility that he would be torn to shreds, and if he ran they would run him down...so not much choice.

Taking a deep breath he took off, scattering furniture and instruments, grabbing a pair of surgical scissors as he went.

He sprinted for the nearest exit and skidded round a corner, just as the first dog burst through the dividing curtain. He didn't look back, relying on his senses to tell him were the pack was.

The lights began flickering, threatening to plunge the corridor into darkness but the click of claws and the snarls and growls of the dogs spurred him on.

He flew down the corridor, heading for his goal...the other exit of the Emergency Room.

As he approached it, he sensed the dog and tried to swerve; he wasn't quick enough and he stumbled when the dog bit his calf.

The pain made him falter and he felt himself falling and knew he couldn't stop himself and he knew the pack would be on him.

Pain flared in his back as he hit the floor and scrambled round to find a pack of at least a dozen dogs were grouped just a few yards away; but they didn't attack.

Then he saw why as what was obviously the alpha snarled at him, its hackles raised.

Pain flared again and he felt something rise unbidden from within him, something primal, something that no amount of genetic manipulation could really ever quash...the urge to dominate his rival...to become the alpha.

He rose to a crouch and with an answering snarl moved.

* * *

><p>Jack watched the road, following the tracks made by the Doctor's jeep; he'd been right, the Doctor was heading for St Francis.<p>

As they drove down the street that led to the hospital, they spotted the odd abandoned dog, but what wasn't good was the mass of paw prints that mingled with the tyre tracks.

"That's not good," the UNIT soldier that was driving said. "They've started forming packs and this one is following the Doctor."

"Speed up," Jack said.

The two jeeps accelerated and the hospital loomed into view and as they pulled into the approach road they saw the jeep parked outside, and more worryingly there were a few dogs sniffing around the jeep.

They ran as the jeeps pulled up and a few shots in the air encouraged them to stay away.

"He must be inside," Ianto said. "There are footprints, they only go one way."

He tried the door but it didn't budge. "Must have locked it to keep the dogs out."

"Don't think so," Doctor Stoneleigh said and pointed the ambulance bay. "The doors are open and there are tracks right up to it."

Dammit," Jack said and led the group inside the ambulance bay. "Captain, take your men and go that way. Doctor Stoneleigh, Ianto and I will go this way. If you come across any dogs, shoot to scare, and shoot to kill if you have to."

"Yes sir," the UNIT officer said and went off with his men.

Jack led them into the hospital, where the lights were flickering, giving it a strange disco effect.

They had only gone a few metres when they heard it...it made the hairs on the back of their necks rise; it was the sound of animals fighting.

They broke into a run and followed the sounds...they were savage and spoke only of something being killed or being fought over.

Jack's blood ran cold...were they too late? Had the pack already hunted and brought the Doctor down?

With a growl to match those coming from in front of him he rounded the corner and froze...there was a fight, but not between dogs fighting over a human corpse but fighting over that of another dog.

"Get out of here!" he yelled and fired his gun, scattering the pack and were discouraged to come back by Ianto's added gunfire.

"Captain," Doctor Stoneleigh said and touched his arm and moved his head to his left.

A shadow moved and Jack looked at Ianto, who moved slightly, but managed to cut off the shadows escape route.

The shadow moved again and Doctor Stoneleigh moved and the shadow stopped...now trapped.

"Doctor?" Jack said softly.

This time the shadow spoke and it was in a voice full of fear. "No, you're not real...you're just a hallucination, all of you."

Jack moved forward. "I'm not a hallucination, why don't you come out of the shadows and see."

The shadow moved and the Doctor stepped out, his eyes wide with a mixture of suspicion and hope.

It became clear to Jack what had happened...the Doctor must have fought and killed the dog and judging by the amount of blood covering him, it hadn't been easy.

The Doctor moved closer and reached out a trembling hand and touched Jack's face.

A shudder ran through him and then Jack found himself with an armful of Time Lord.

* * *

><p>"It's you, it's really you," the Doctor said for the umpteenth time as Doctor Stoneleigh treated the various scratches and one nasty bite.<p>

They were still in the hospital and had decided that all in all it was the best place to stay until morning.

Jack was sitting on a gurney, happy to see the Doctor relatively un-harmed; the problem of the creature pushed to the back of his mind, for now.

Just seeing the smile on the Doctor's face after he realised he wasn't a hallucination had been enough to make his heart melt.

Doctor Stoneleigh finished the last stitch and cut the thread. "All done, I leave you two alone, but let him get some rest, captain."

Jack waited until Doctor Stoneleigh had left before speaking. "What the hell were you thinking?"

The Doctor had the good grace to look contrite and looked down at the floor...but when he looked up at Jack from beneath lowered lashes, he couldn't be mad at him.

"Come here, you daft old alien," he said.

He moved over and wrapped his arms around the Doctor. "I am never letting you out of my sight again."

The Doctor sighed and his breath felt warm against Jack's neck and he couldn't help his skin reaction.

He expected the Doctor to move away and to reprimand him, but the Doctor seemed to get closer and mould himself into Jack's body.

After what seemed an eternity he pushed himself away, but instead of moving away he moved in again and placed a hand on Jack's face.

"That won't be a problem," he said softly and placed a tender kiss on Jack's lips.

He went to move back but Jack pulled him back and kissed him with passion and revelled in the taste of the Doctor...exotic, spicy...alien.

When breath was becoming an issue for Jack, they broke apart and they stood with foreheads touching.

Jack moved away then, not wanting to spoil the moment by being too eager. "Now, you rest."

They walked into the ward that was just of the Emergency Room and went to the last bed left, the others being occupied by Ianto, Doctor Stoneleigh and the UNIT soldiers not on watch.

Jack went to lie on the blanket that had been put on the floor, but the Doctor stopped him.

"Please," he said softly.

Jack could see the fear in those expressive eyes.

With an amount of fidgeting and wriggling, they managed to get comfortable and the Doctor laid his head on Jack's chest.

Jack carded his hands through the Doctor's hair and watched in silence as the Doctor closed his eyes and was asleep in seconds.

Jack sighed, knowing this moment wouldn't last...knowing that the creature was out there...knowing that death could still rob him of the Doctor .

He closed his eyes and tightened his hold on the Doctor, trying not to think of what was to come.


	33. Chapter 33

It stopped, not because it was bored of chasing food, not because it was full; it was always hungry.

It stopped because it felt something it thought had been lost to it...the Time Lord.

It growled and turned away from the fleeing humans; a more satisfying meal was once again on offer.

It reached out with its mind and locked onto the Time Lord once more; it knew exactly where he was.

This time it would not have to do anything as demeaning as walking back to where the Time Lord was.

It had much more power now, the energy from the thousands it had consumed now coursed through its body. It drew on that energy now and latched onto the faint trace of the Time Lord and it winked out of existence.

It solidified just outside the city that the Time Lord was in, but he didn't start destroying the city...no, this time it would take the Time Lord by subterfuge.

It searched through the memories that it had garnished from the Time Lord's mind and found what it wanted.

If it couldn't take the Time Lord by force, then it would use the Time Lord's heart to take him.

It began to shrink and when it reached human size, it began to morph into a new shape. It walked until it found a reflective surface and examined the shape it had chosen...yes, this would do nicely.

* * *

><p>Jack was woken by the Doctor shifting in his arms, he looked down, hoping that the Doctor was awake; but he was still sleeping.<p>

However his face was taut and his breathing was shallow and rapid...another dream.

Jack pulled the Doctor closer, tightening his hold in a protective manner but it had no effect as the Doctor's movement became more agitated and a whimper escaped his tightly closed lips.

"Jack...no," the Doctor moaned and he twisted in Jack's arms.

Jack held the Doctor tighter and the Doctor woke with a start, eyes not focused on anything.

"Hey," Jack said softly and the Doctor's finally focused on Jack's face.

"Bad dream?" Jack asked, running a hand through the Doctor's hair.

"You really are here," the Doctor said any trace of the dream gone from his face as he took in Jack's face.

Jack smiled. "Not a hallucination."He leant down to kiss the Doctor when there was the sound of a throat being cleared.

The Doctor jumped and pulled away from Jack, who sat up and peered into the half-light...it was the UNIT captain.

"Sirs, a message from base camp, the creature, it's disappeared."

They sat up then, both alert and any thoughts of whatever was going to happen between them gone.

"Do they know where it's gone?" Jack said as he pulled on his coat.

"No sir, but a Gwen Cooper is asking to speak to you."

He went to go with the captain when the Doctor stopped him. "I'm going to the roof, I can sense this thing if I really concentrate, but I need to be high up or in the clear."

Jack nodded but caught the Doctor's arm. "Keep your phone on, I'll meet you up there, but I have to talk with Gwen. Doctor Stoneleigh, you're with me."

"I'll go with him, "Ianto said.

Jack flashed him a smile before going off with the captain, Doctor Stoneleigh in tow.

Ianto and the Doctor stepped out onto the roof and the Doctor turned in a circle, very much like sonar sweeping for an echo.

It was as he was feeling for the creature he heard Ianto's phone ring.

"Okay, I think he's okay, I'll be there is a few moments. "

He looked at the Doctor, who was still turning in a circle. "Jack needs me, will you be okay?"

The Doctor waved an arm and said in distracted manner. "I'll be fine."

* * *

><p>The Doctor stood on the edge of the roof, searching for any sign of the creature. Whilst he was doing that, the part of his mind not engage in searching went back to the kiss between Jack and himself.<p>

When this was over and if he had his way, it would be soon, he would let Jack buy him that proverbial drink and then perhaps he would tell him...

His phone ringing dispelled the pleasant thought he was having and his search for the creature...it was probably Jack.

"Can't you leave me alone for a second..." he started to say but was interrupted by Jack.

"Are you alone?"

The Doctor frowned. "Of course I am, you called Ianto away yourself."

There was silence for a few seconds, then. "I know this is going to sound weird, but don't trust me."

"What?" the Doctor said.

"Don't trust me or the others."

"Why?"

There was silence again.

"Jack?"

"Because that's not me."

"Come again."

"That's not me."

"What do you mean, not you?"

"It looks like me, but it's not. It's that thing."

The Doctor frowned again. "It can't be, I would know."

"No, you wouldn't, that's how it nearly got you the last time. It wants you to think that it's me."

"But the others..."

"Under its influence...please Doctor, I'll explain, but you need to get away. Can you get to a vehicle?"

"Yes, but..."

"No time for buts. Do you remember the route you took in?"

"Yes."

"Then meet me at the service station."

"How do I know you're you...the real you?"

"Trust me Doctor, I can explain...please leave now."

The Doctor was silent for a moment, judging the amount of annoyance and concern in the voice on the other end of the phone. He had to admit, Jack...no not the real Jack had been too calm.

The real Jack would have kicked his arse for running.

His hearts sank a little...did that mean that kiss between them was nothing.

"Doctor," Jack's voice cut through his thoughts. "You need to get your skinny butt out of there."

He made his mind up then. "Okay."

Now all he had to do was find a way down without being seen; he smiled when he saw the metal ladder on the side of the building.

He climbed down it jogged round to the front of the hospital and found there was no-one guarding the jeeps.

He would escape and then he would come back with Jack and rescue the others and finish this.

* * *

><p>It smiled as it crushed the phone...it didn't even look back at the pile of ashes that were one a UNIT soldier.<p>

It looked at the reflection of its shape once more and practiced the smile it would use. It then climbed into the soldier's jeep and drove back to the service station.

Soon it would feed and the Time Lord would be a very willing feast.


	34. Chapter 34

_**Warning: Rated M for sex scene**_

Jack took the phone from the UNIT soldier. "Gwen, what's this about the creature disappearing?"

"It did just that, one second it was stomping all over Utah, the next it was gone and it hasn't been spotted since. Have you found the Doctor yet?"

Jack smiled, despite the situation. "Yeah, we're starting back as soon as I finish speaking with you. Have UNIT any ideas?"

"Not a sausage. Does the Doctor have any idea?"

"Apart from saying he can sense it, it's a no. But I don't think it's gone. I get a feeling it's not going anywhere until it get its claws on a certain alien friend of ours."

"You think all this is because it couldn't get to the Doctor, he won't like that. Then get back here as soon as possible. At least we can try and protect him back here, and you know him, he always comes up with something."

"We can hope, gotta go now, if we're going to be back before nightfall."

He shut the phone off and walked over to Doctor Stoneleigh. "Do you have any ideas?"

Doctor Stoneleigh pursed his lips. "I have a few, but they're barely ideas. I need to consult with the Doctor and my own staff."

"Right, then we'd better get going."

They both turned when they heard footsteps and both were surprised to see Ianto.

"You're supposed to be watching the Doctor," Jack said.

"You called me down," Ianto replied.

"I didn't...oh no."

Jack kicked the door to the roof open and dashed onto the roof, but there was no sign of the Doctor.

A few second later he was joined by Ianto and Doctor Stoneleigh.

"Where the hell is he, there's no way off this roof?" Jack said.

"Yes, there is," Ianto said and pointed to the metal ladder. "There's a fire escape."

"You don't think he felt that thing and has gone after it alone?" Doctor Stoneleigh suggested.

"Oh that's exactly what he's done...the stupid, crazy brave idiot," Jack growled and took out his mobile and rang the Doctor's number.

He heard the phone connect and he could hear what sounded like an engine...he'd taken a jeep.

"I know you can hear me, you get your skinny ass back here!"

"Not listening."

"Please Doctor, you have to come back."

"Fool me once, twice maybe, but never thrice."

Jack frowned...what the hell did he mean by fool him?

"Just come back, we can find and fight this thing together."

"I know what you are, he told me."

"Who told you what?"

"Jack told me...not you...my Jack."

"What?"

He went to speak again but the click of the phone disconnecting sounded in his ear. He redialled frantically but the phone was turned off.

"Not good, so not good."

"What is it?" Ianto asked.

"He's in trouble...that thing, he thinks I'm that thing. He thinks that thing out there is me and I can't stop him."

Jack kicked the door in frustration.

"We can track him," Doctor Stoneleigh said. "His jeep was out of fuel, he would have taken one of ours."

Both Jack and Ianto looked at him.

"I took the liberty of putting a tracker in the vehicles so we could be rescued, if necessary."

Jack could have kissed Doctor Stoneleigh. "Then let's go...we have a monster to kill and a Time Lord to save."

* * *

><p>The Doctor's thoughts were dark as he drove...how could he have been fooled by that thing? Not once, but twice.<p>

He was angry...oh so angry...angry at the thing for using his grief...angry at it for making him believe that Jack was dead...angry at it for deceiving him and using him.

How long had it been pretending to be Jack...he couldn't tell anymore; since the town or the debacle of his near immolation or god forbid since he thought Jack was dead.

He stomach roiled, had he poured out his grief and his deepest feelings to an illusion...and that kiss and what he was intending to do...Rassilon, was the whole world under that things thrall.

When he met up with his Jack he would tell him exactly how he felt...he needed an anchor in this nightmare.

When he thought of his Jack his hearts sang and his body thrummed, vibrated with...he wasn't sure what it was, but he was going to his Jack...his wonderful, immortal Jack.

The service station hove into view and there he was, coat billowing in the wind.

With hearts beating wildly he pulled up and was greeted by that grin.

"Jack," was all he said and smiled back.

Jack climbed in next to him and glared at him. "Don't ever run off like that again!" he yelled and then grabbed hold him and kissed him.

"Now, let's get the hell out of here."

The Doctor grinned again and drove out of the service station.

They had been driving for a while, then the ash began to fall again and the air was becoming thick with it.

"I think it's pissed that you've gone," Jack said. "We can't drive in this, there's a motel a few miles up ahead. We can wait there until it lets up a bit."

The Doctor looked at him. "Wouldn't it be better to get back to the base camp?"

Jack sighed. "I'm bushed and you don't look so hot yourself. Besides, I want you to myself for a while."

The Doctor shivered at the intent in Jack's voice, it was low and full of promise.

They drove in silence after that, the sexual tension between them like water on hot rocks.

The ash began to cover their tyre tracks and as they pulled off the main road, they disappeared completely.

* * *

><p>Jack could only watch the scanner as they drove; its signal was intermittent at best, the ash that had started to fall again was interfering with the signal.<p>

The ash was also covering any tracks left by the jeep.

"He can't be that far ahead, are you sure he hasn't doubled back?" Ianto said, as he narrowly missed a dead animal in the road...everything was starting to die, choked by the ash.

"Don't think so, this thing is clever. It would want to get the Doctor somewhere remote, less chance of us or anyone interfering," Doctor Stoneleigh said.

"And the tracks are going fast, if we don't catch up soon, we'll lose them."

They had been driving for a good hour when Jack said. "Stop, there's no way they could have gotten this far...something's not right."

"There was a turning a couple of miles from the service station. They could have turned off there," Ianto said.

Jack suddenly felt his stomach tighten. "Turn back Yan...something's really wrong."

* * *

><p>They fell into one of the motel rooms, lips locked in a smouldering kiss.<p>

"What happened to you being tired?" the Doctor gasped as Jack ran a tongue along his neck.

"There's tired and there's tired," Jack said and nipped at the Doctor's neck.

The Doctor grinned as Jack pinned him against the door and began removing his jacket.

"You...wear...too...many...clothes," Jack growled as he pulled the Doctor away from the door and onto the bed.

The Doctor's tie and shirt suffered the same fate as his jacket but he didn't care; his brain was slowly being lost to the heat of lust.

He let out a moan as Jack's skilful tongue danced across one of his nipples.

"Clothes off too Captain," he hissed at a particularly pleasurable stroke of Jack's tongue.

Jack growled but began stripping off his own clothes, allowing the Doctor a good view of his well defined chest.

"Stop," he said his own voice a tone lower. "My turn," he growled and pulled Jack so that he was on top of him.

Jack laughed then and the Doctor froze. "What?" he said but before he could sound insulted Jack put a hand on his mouth.

"It's just funny, all that time I spent flirting and it takes a big thing stomping all over this planet to get you in bed."

The Doctor smiled. "Been busy, what with saving the universe an' all...mmmph."

He was cut off by Jack capturing his mouth, leaving him breathless.

"Enough talk," the Doctor said and began kissing his way down Jack's chest, lingering on his stomach.

A bolt of lust spiked through him in as Jack's hand wrapped round his already hard shaft and he let out a hiss of pleasure.

"Oh, we like that do we?"Jack said and began moving his hand, smiling when he felt the Doctor stiffen some more.

The Doctor growled. "Want you...want you now."

"No," Jack growled back and flipped the Doctor so that he on top of him. "I want you to ride me. I want to see your face...want to see you..."

"Want this," the Doctor whispered and moved up and lowered himself onto Jack and let out a groan and closed his eyes as he felt Jack fill him.

They began to move and the Doctor groaned again when he felt Jack's hand on his chest and thrust harder this time.

He arched his back and tipped his head back, losing himself to the feel of the man beneath him.

So lost was he that he barely registered the door to the room crashing open and a voice roaring.

"Get the hell out of him!"

Then he heard Jack snarl something but it was blur to him and then he felt an intense pain and heat he'd never felt before.


	35. Chapter 35

Jack had watched the road ahead like a hawk, looking for any sign of a jeep or the Doctor.

It was then that he spotted the sign for the motel and as they approached it he saw the jeep.

"There!" he cried and was out of the jeep before Ianto had time to stop.

He ran until he was nearly at the room the jeep was parked in front of. He stopped when he heard noises that were definitely not of someone in pain...it sounded like someone in the throes of passion...it sounded like the Doctor.

He snapped then, that thing was taking what should have been his privilege to take and the Doctor sounded like he was all too willing.

With a snarl of indignant rage and hurt pride, he drew back his leg and kicked open the door and froze at what he saw...there was the Doctor, back arched, head thrown back in ecstasy and underneath him was...him.

"Get the hell out of him!" he roared and his double's head turned and he snarled.

"Too late human," and with force smacked his hand against the Doctor's chest, which caused the Doctor to snap his head back, a look of intense pleasure on his face.

With a roar of rage, Jack lunged for the bed, hoping to separate the Doctor from the thing that was pretending to be him.

He'd only gone a few paces, when he slammed against an invisible wall and he heard the door behind him slam shut.

"Too late human, he is mine."

Jack could only watch in horror as his double's hand seemed to merge with the Doctor's skin and he let out a moan that should have sent shivers down Jack's spine.

* * *

><p>His double let out a groan that made the Doctor look down at his lover and open his eyes; he wanted to see the pleasure he was giving Jack and got the shock of his life as Jack seemed to flicker...just for a second and he saw something that killed his lust.<p>

"You're not Jack!" he gasped as he felt pain like he had never felt before.

"Gullible Time Lord, too late," it snarled and with a growl began to suck the life from the Doctor.

The Doctor tried to move off the not-Jack, but found he couldn't and when he looked down he saw why.

The not-Jack's hand was fused to his chest and any pleasure he'd experience was now turning to pain and he began to feel fear when he realised what was happening...the not-Jack was draining the life out of him.

His eyes locked with what he had once thought was Jack and he saw in them his own death.

It was then that he heard someone shouting at him from far away and he wrenched his eyes away from the thing that was now raping him and killing him.

His eyes took in the owner of the voice and this time he knew it must be the real Jack...the rage and fear in his eyes betrayed who he was.

"Do not fight me Time Lord or I will kill him again and this time I will make him suffer, make the one you love scream as I burn him. Give yourself to me."

The Doctor's eyes snapped back to the not Jack as it snarled the words and for the first time he saw the not Jack for what it really was.

Something snapped inside him... he opened that part of his mind that he'd closed off after the Time War...the part that had allowed him to kill millions. He knew the consequences of what he was about to do, but if it meant it would destroy the thing that was violating and feeding off him, then it was worth it.

If it meant he would save this world and prevent the death of millions of humans, then it was worth it.

The only regret he had...well that didn't matter now.

All these thoughts ran through his head in the seconds it took to open the floodgates and let the Oncoming Storm ...the Destroyer of Worlds loose.

"Then have me," he snarled and golden light began to radiate from his body.

* * *

><p>It had been revelling in the fact that he had complete control of the Time Lord and it was revelling in how much it was enjoying the carnal act that humans called sex...and it revelled in the fact that it would soon feed on the Time Lord<p>

Then the human whose form it had taken had burst into the room and it laughed and had snarled that he was too late.

It gloated as the human beat his hands against the barrier as it fused itself to the chest of the Time Lord and began feeding off him.

The taste of something it hadn't eaten for an eternity sent it into a state of ecstasy it hadn't felt in eons...but it was short-lived as it realised it had made a mistake as soon as it threats towards the human left its borrowed mouth.

It felt the change in the Time Lord, from compliant prey, to prey that was turning and bringing the fight to the predator.

"Are you trying to scare me with your power?" it snarled. "If you want to fight me, then let us fight."

It poured its own power into the Time Lord and the golden light flashed like a super nova and enveloped it and the Time Lord.

* * *

><p>Jack had thrown himself against the barrier, screaming promises to kill the thing as it was pulling the life out of the Doctor.<p>

He could vaguely hear Ianto and Doctor Stoneleigh pounding on the door.

But even that faded when the Doctor had looked at him and seen the fear and the love in those eyes.

Then the moment was gone as the Doctor snarled words at his double and the room exploded into golden light.

The light faded as quickly as it had flashed into life and Jack blinked and wiped away tears that had formed as his eyes watered.

He was no longer in the motel room...he was unsure of where he was. It took a few seconds for his eyes to clear and then he saw exactly where they were.

They were back in the town where this had all started.

Ash was falling and the skies were black and the buildings were shadows against the fires that were raging unabated...it looked and felt and smelt like hell.

Then he heard it...the roar of the creature, the thing that was taking the Doctor's life.

He began to run ignoring the crunch of bones and the smell of the dead...he had to stop that thing, even if it did kill him this time.

He was clambering over a ruined building, when he saw the flashes of light.

He crested a pile of rubble, expecting to see the Doctor being devoured by the creature in its true form.

Someone was being be devoured but he wasn't sure who as below him, the Doctor and his double were locked, not in that fatal embrace but in a fight that would end with the death of one of them.


	36. Chapter 36

_**Penultimate chapter**_

The Doctor blinked the light from his eyes and instantly knew where he was...he was back in the town.

He was thankful that he was at least dressed and he would have found the thought of wrestling naked with Jack amusing at any other time.

But the thing he was now hunting for wasn't Jack.

He climbed a ruined wall and sniffed the air; he filtered out the smell of human death and scorched buildings, searching for the thing that had tried to kill him.

Its stink was still in his nostrils, an ugly mix of its true nature and what should have been the pleasant smell of Jack.

He froze when that smell became strong once more and he jumped off the wall and set off with purpose.

* * *

><p>It had expected the Time Lord to fight; all the Time Lords' it had consumed had fought, for a little while, but all succumbed to it in the end.<p>

It had thought it had the Time Lord back at the motel, but then the human it had imitated had shifted the balance and the Time Lord fought harder.

It had been surprised to see the human alive...that was something it would go back to, once it had devoured the Time Lord.

But what surprised it and made it crave the Time Lord even more was the power that surged from the Time Lord into itself...this one was truly powerful.

It had only had a taste before the energy between them erupted and it had found itself back in the place it had started.

It wanted the Time Lord even more and this time it would get him. It closed its eyes and began to...its eyes snapped open and panic swept through it, albeit briefly...it couldn't transform to its larger state; it was stuck in the form it was now in.

The Time Lord must have taken more energy from it that it had thought, no matter, it would regain it and much more when it finally found and finished off the Time Lord.

It sniffed the air and found what it wanted and moved off in the direction of its unfinished meal.

* * *

><p>The two met in the ruins of the town's main street and faced each other like cowboys in an old western<p>

Except these weren't two desperate old gunfighters facing each other in the final dance of death...these were two powerful beings, who were fighting to decide the fate of an entire world.

Neither spoke, no words were needed...no insults to goad the other into moving first.

It was predator verses predator and only the strongest would prevail.

With matching snarls they ran straight toward each other and met with a clash of body's and became locked in a struggle of strength.

The not Jack shrugged off the Time Lord and thrust him backwards and laughed.

"You think you can match my strength...you are weak compared to me."

"Who said this is a battle of muscle," the Doctor snarled and launched himself forward and with a move that he'd stolen from one Captain Jack Harkness, he hooked a leg round the not Jack's leg and they went crashing to the ground.

Using his superior speed, he clamped his hand on the not Jack's head. "I don't need muscle to defeat you," he snarled and forced his way into the not Jack's mind.

* * *

><p>It snarled as it felt the Time Lord smash into its mind...a foolish move.<p>

"You think you can destroy me by crushing my mind? You are not my first Time Lord...see what I am."

It flashed images through the connection into the Time Lord's mind, images of the faces and names of the Time Lords it had consumed.

It felt the Time Lord falter and it poured more into his mind...the pain and the torture of its victims as they died.

He felt the Time Lord recoil and with another snarl he ripped the Time Lord's hands from its head.

"I am S'axcytha...the Devourer... the Terror of the Dark...the Soul Thief."

* * *

><p>The Doctor reeled away when the images had poured into his mind...faces and names that were etched in Time Lord history...the fallen.<p>

When the not Jack snarled its name he staggered even further away a look of horror on his face.

"You can't be...you're not real."

"What, you think I was just a tale to make little Gallifreyan children behave, a scary tale told on a stormy night. Such lies, I am real and now you will know why they told tales to frighten."

The not Jack pounced and the Doctor didn't have chance to react and it was upon him.

The Doctor let out a scream of agony as what felt like daggers sliced into his very core.

It was as he was screaming that a shot rang out, kicking up ash next to both of their heads.

"Stop right now or I will shoot you!" Jack's voice rang out.

* * *

><p>It rose from the ground, taking the Doctor with it and it faced the one who had spoken.<p>

"You again, you are most persistent. Take your shot, but if I suffer, so does the Time Lord."

It laughed when the human did not carry out its threat.

"Humans, so weak...then die instead."

A bolt of brilliant light shot from its free hand and hit the human square in the chest and the smell of burning flesh filled the air.

It ignored the frantic cry of the Time Lord and poured more death at the human. It watched with disinterest as the smouldering remains fell to the floor.

It turned back to the Time Lord, expecting to see a cowed and fearful victim.

It was mistaken as the eyes of its next meal flashed with their own fire.

"That was a mistake," the Time Lord snarled. "Time for you to die now."


	37. Chapter 37

_**Thought this was going to be the last chapter...but another chaper is need to finish this.**_

Jack had not seen or heard what had gone on before. All he had seen was his double overpowering the Doctor.

Without hesitation he clambered down the ruined building and when he reached level ground he drew his gun and fired off a warning shot.

"Stop right now or I will shoot!"

His double pushed itself of the ground, taking the Doctor with him and snarled words at him.

He levelled his gun at his double, hoping that it saw the threat and not the bluff; he knew he couldn't shoot, there was a chance that his double may use the Doctor as a shield; he had no way of knowing if it needed the Doctor alive.

As his double raised its hand, he knew what was coming and as he died he could hear the Doctor's anguished cry and he knew that whatever happened next he could not stop it.

* * *

><p>Intense rage filled the Doctor as he saw Jack's immolated body fall to the floor; again this thing, this nightmare from his childhood had killed someone he loved.<p>

When the not Jack looked back at him he snarled. "That was a mistake, time to die."

He let go of the last barriers that were holding back the fire that had burnt millions.

He snarled again as he saw fear in the eyes of the not Jack.

"Shall I show you what I am...do you really want to see. I am the Destroyer of Worlds, the Bringer of Chaos, Deaths' Companion, the Right Arm of Hades, the Fires of Vengeance, the Oncoming Storm. I am the Shadow That Walks The Day, I am Shesa. I am the Darkness That Devours. I am the Butcher of Skaro, I am the Scourge of Sulan...I am Death Incarnate."

He reached out and grabbed hold of the head of the not Jack and poured all of his rage into its head.

"I am the Doctor and I am the last of my kind."

* * *

><p>It tried to look away from the Time Lord but could not, the fires in the Time Lord's eyes held it like a moth to a flame.<p>

As it listened to the Time Lord reel of names that it knew from the creatures it had devoured in his long life, it knew that it had finally met its match...a Time Lord of all things.

Then the Time Lord had declared he was the last of his kind and that was it last coherent moment as what poured into its head was hell itself.

War, death and destruction on a scale it could only have dreamed of...it had missed so much in its exile, including the destruction of its captors...the very ones it fed on.

The ground beneath them began to shake and cracks began to appear beneath them and the two of them teetered on the edge of the huge chasm that screeched into existence.

It roared out its rage and managed to snarl. "Then you will die with me."

"I know," the Time Lord said.

* * *

><p>The Doctor poured all of his anger and rage into the mind of the not Jack and it took it all and it roared out its rage and snarled that he would die with it.<p>

"I know," he said.

He felt the ground shift under his feet and heard the ground splitting behind him.

Gritting his teeth he used what strength he had to pull and the two of them tumbled over the edge and into the black abyss.


	38. Chapter 38

_**Can't seem to finish this story**_

Jack came painfully back to life, his nerves still on fire from the heat of burning.

Death by fire was one of his least favourite ways of dying; his skin was over sensitive for days afterwards.

He was face down in the ash and with a cry of disgust he got to his hands and knees and spat out dead people.

It was then that the he noticed the silence; even the fires that were raging seemed muted. He shook his head, clearing the cobwebs of death and carefully stood up, every muscle in body protesting.

He scanned the area, panicking when he couldn't see the Doctor or his double...then he saw the huge crevice.

"Oh no...please," he said and staggered over to it.

There were signs of a struggle in the ash, but he wouldn't believe that they had gone over.

Cautiously he moved to the edge and peered over. He was about to sigh with relief when he saw no bodies that he saw it.

A lone scuffed dirty white Converse on a ledge about ten metres down...they had gone over.

* * *

><p>The Doctor wasn't sure how far the crevice went...he hoped it was to the bowels of the Earth; not even the thing that he was now falling with could escape that.<p>

Neither could he, come to think of it.

That suited him fine; they could fight this out without hurting anyone else.

As they fell, his thoughts turned to those he was leaving behind...all those wonderful companions he had known, all those he would never know.

And then there was Jack.

Once he'd been sure about his feelings towards Jack. He loved Jack as a friend. Sure he let Jack flirt with him and sometimes he even flirted back, but it had all been in fun. He couldn't quite pinpoint when his feelings had changed towards Jack, but they had and he couldn't deny it.

Not that it mattered...too late; the story of his lives.

He felt the not Jack shift suddenly and he looked down and saw why.

The crevice did have an end and it was rushing towards them at an alarming rate and it was trying to turn him, use him as a living air-bag.

Not this time...this thing was going to die first.

Using the last of energy and strength he ripped himself away from the not Jack.

"Your time is ended," he snarled and closed his eyes as the ground approached and his body exploded in pain as he and the not Jack hit the ground.

* * *

><p>Jack had tried everything to find a way down into the crevice, but every attempt ended in failure.<p>

He let out a cry of anger...did life hate him and its sister fate enjoy being cruel to him.

He hadn't understood the words that had been whispered when he was...god knows whether he had actually been dead. He may not have understood the words, but he had to believe that the kiss back at the cell had been genuine, and what he had seen back at the motel was something he might experience.

But that was all lost, if the Doctor was dead.

If the Doctor was dead, he had to find a way down and find his body. The Last of the Time Lords deserved a better resting place than the bottom of a dark hole.

A dark pall of grief threatened to overwhelm but the sound of engines made him look up.

Out of the ash came two jeeps.

Not even the sight of his team, Doctor Stoneleigh and Julie Sanders appearing out of the ash cheered him.

They ran over.

* * *

><p>"Thank god!" Gwen said.<p>

"We thought you were dead when you disappeared. Is the Doctor okay?" Ianto said.

Ianto's face dropped when he saw Jack's face. "I'm sorry...where is he?"

"Too deep...can't reach him...don't want to leave him."

Gwen looked over the edge and put her hand to her mouth.

"He fell?" Doctor Stoneleigh asked.

"I think so, took that thing with him. We need to find him...I need to do right by him."

"A burial might be hard," Gwen said and was about to be rebuked by Ianto, when she said.

"Unless you bury Time Lords alive."

They all rushed over to the edge and Jack saw a sight that could only be a miracle.


	39. Chapter 39

The Doctor knew he was alive when the pain overpowered his unconscious state. He lay still for a few minutes, trying to see how broken he was.

Most of his ribs seemed to be broken and he was pretty sure one of his shoulders was shattered. He gathered himself and pushed and instantly collapsed...yep, broken shoulder. He felt something warm and sticky on his face...broken something on his head then.

But he was alive.

He gritted his teeth and pushed himself up, allowing himself to cry out as a release for the pain.

He looked around him and only a few feet away lay the not Jack. He looked dead, but the Doctor was old enough and wise enough never to trust the dead to be dead.

He looked up and could see the ash-blackened sky far above; it was going to be a long climb, more so in his present state.

He let out another groan as he got to his feet. A wave of dizziness told him he must have picked up a head injury; not good if you needed to climb. Shaking his head to try and clear it, he took one more glance at the still motionless not Jack.

He moved to the rock face and took his first hold and pulled himself up. It was pure agony as every pull grated shattered bone on shattered bone. He took another breath and it felt like fire.

The climb was getting harder as his already depleted energy was leaching away, and his respiratory by-pass threatened to kick in to compensate for his bruised lungs and his broken ribs.

He chanced a glance upward, fighting the wave of dizziness that followed. He dare not look down, one because his head injury could cause vertigo, secondly he didn't want to see if the not Jack was alive and climbing after him.

His hearts lifted when he saw how close he was now to the top...he hadn't realised how far he'd climbed. He really needed to reach the top, as he was rapidly losing his fight to control the pain and to remain conscious.

It was then that he saw the face of an angel...a Welsh angel.

He willed his body to move as he caught sight of Gwen and then stopped when another face appeared over the edge and stretched out his arm and then that voice.

"Take my hand!"

He couldn't help his reaction...he flinched.

"C'mon Doctor, take my hand!"

Another person appeared, arm outstretched...Doctor Stoneleigh and this time he didn't hesitate and began climbing again and grabbed the hand.

But as he did he felt himself being pulled from below...the not Jack!

He felt Doctor Stoneleigh's grip falter and slip.

He scrabbled at the rock face but his shoulder and ribs flared with pain and he couldn't get a purchase and he felt himself being dragged down and this time he knew it would be to his death; he didn't have the energy to fight it.

* * *

><p>Jack stared down at the miracle and dove to the floor when saw that the Doctor was struggling. He could see the blood on the Doctor's face and the fact that he favouring one arm.<p>

He leant over the edge and when he saw the Doctor was faltering he put out his arm and called down.

"Take my hand!" he called down in encouragement for the Doctor to climb but the Doctor never moved.

When the Doctor flinched, Jack thought it was due to his injuries.

"C'mon Doctor, take my hand!"

It was then that he felt more than saw someone else beside him and another arm stretch out.

"C'mon Doctor!" Doctor Stoneleigh called.

Jack sighed with relief when the Doctor began moving again but blinked when the Doctor didn't reach for his hand...but for Doctor Stoneleigh's.

As the Doctor grabbed Doctor Stoneleigh's hand Jack saw a movement behind him and then the Doctor was pulled out of Doctor Stoneleigh's hand.

* * *

><p>It had taken time for it to come round...the fall in this body had been more traumatic.<p>

It sat up and knew that the Time Lord was gone. It looked up and saw the distant speck that was its meal.

The Time Lord said he was the last of his kind and it had seen that when the Time Lord had forced his way into its mind...no wonder he was so powerful and that made it want him even more; all that power inside the last of his kind.

With a snarl it contorted its body and the snap and pop of bones moving back into place filled the air.

Then it began to climb, faster that the Time Lord.

It could see the humans leaning over the edge and heard the shouts directed at the Time Lord...not this time it thought and with speed that could only come from something not human it closed the gap between itself and the Time Lord.

It caught hold of the Time Lord's leg and pulled.

It snarled as the Time Lord tried to escape by scrabbling at the rock and it pulled harder and began to drag its final meal back down.

Then several hot spears of pain hit its body but it didn't let go of the Time Lord...it was going to take the Time Lord with it.

Then pain seared through its head and it let go of the Time Lord and fell away, back into the dark of what would be its grave.

* * *

><p>Jack, Gwen and Ianto had started when the Doctor had been pulled out of Doctor Stoneleigh's grasp.<p>

They all saw what looked like Jack pulling the Doctor towards him but it didn't stop them...they knew it wasn't Jack.

Gwen and Ianto were first to their weapons and fired into Jack's double but it didn't seem to faze him and the Doctor was rapidly disappearing into the dark.

Jack took more time and lined up his target and fired, knowing that killing it would mean killing the Doctor...but better him die like this than be devoured by that thing.

He watched without emotion as his double fell away, taking the Doctor with it into the dark.

He was snapped out of the moment by Gwen shouting. "The Doctor's fallen onto a ledge!"

"There's rope in the jeep!" Ianto said and raced back to it and drove it up to the edge of the crevice.

Jack started to tie it round his waist when Doctor Stoneleigh stopped him.

"Best let someone else."

"No."

"Jack," Doctor Stoneleigh lowered his voice. "You saw his reaction...he's unlikely to want you near him."

"He will."

"No Jack, let's get him back up. Then we can deal with that."

Jack sighed and gave the rope to Doctor Stoneleigh who fastened it to himself and with the others help was lowered to the ledge and at his shout Ianto tied the rope to the jeep and Gwen reversed slowly until the Doctor appeared over the edge.

Jack rushed forward and caught the Doctor before he collapsed and laid him on the floor, undoing the rope as Julie examined him.

She started with his head and noticed blood coming from his ear. "Possible skull fracture, definitely multiple breaks in the right shoulder, looks like most of his ribs are broken. I really need to get him to hospital. I need something to support his neck."

"I can do better than that," Doctor Stoneleigh said as he climbed over the ledge. "The ash is clearing. I can get a med-vac chopper here quicker than we can drive."

Jack nodded and knelt down beside the Doctor who was showing signs of coming round.

When he opened his eyes Jack said in a soft voice. "Hey there."

Jack reached out to touch the Doctor's face but stopped when the Doctor tried to move away from his hand.

"Please Captain," Julie said. "I don't want him to move."

Jack moved back, shunning Ianto and Gwen's attempts at getting near him, trying to hide the heartache at the Doctor shying away from him.

He could only watch as Julie and Doctor Stoneleigh tried to treat what injuries they could.

Then the sound of the chopper broke the silence and they busied themselves with getting the Doctor on board and no-one spared a glance at the crevice that was now the tomb for something else that thought it could rule this world.

But Jack didn't care...that thing had made the Doctor afraid of him.

How could the Doctor love him now?


	40. Chapter 40

_**An ending and perhaps a beginning...**_

Jack had kept away from the UNIT hospital, unable to even get inside the doors.

He knew when he saw the Doctor flinch and when he'd moved away from his touch that the Doctor was scared of him and he cursed the thing that had taken his form and possibly ruined his relationship with the Doctor forever.

He was sitting in the office he'd been given and had immersed himself in the massive clean up after the creature's rampage across the States.

There were hundreds of thousands homeless and god knows how many dead or injured and the nightmare of dealing with the lies that had to be told.

There was a lot of work to do and it took his mind of the one thing he didn't want to think about.

He'd personally supervised the filling in of the crevice; that thing if it was still alive, was never getting out. The whole town and a thirty mile radius had been taken over by UNIT and nobody was ever getting back into that town.

A knock at the door preceded Ianto entering.

"What do you want, I'm busy."

"You need to see him."

"I told you, he won't want to see me."

Ianto sighed. "He thought he was with you and that thing used his feeling for you. You can't blame him for not trusting what his eyes are showing him, but you need to see him."

"Why, so he can flinch when I try to touch him...no, I won't face that again."

Ianto scowled. "He's not doing too well, not that you care."

Jack looked up then, his face betraying him.

"Oh, so now you care."

"The last report said he was doing well."

"Yeah, but that's just his physical condition. I talking about here and here," Ianto said, touching his head and his chest. "But you're not interested, so I'll leave you to your paperwork."

Ianto made to get up, when Jack stood up.

"I want to see him but I'm scared Yan, scared that he'll reject me, scared that that thing killed any feelings he had for me."

Ianto moved over to Jack and placed a hand on his shoulder. "If he really does love you, that won't change. He's hurt Jack and doesn't know who to trust. He only lets one nurse and Doctor Sanderson near enough to treat him."

"But what if he doesn't love me...what if he hates me?"

"Jack, you were friends before any of this happened. I don't think he'll hate you and if he doesn't love you that shouldn't stop you being friends. You're immortal, he can live a long time...who knows what could happen. But you have to see him to know, he needs someone other than medical staff to have trust in."

Jack smiled and kissed Ianto lightly on the lips. "Ianto Jones, young man, wise old soul."

* * *

><p>The Doctor looked up, expecting to see either the nurse or Julie. When he saw who it was, his hearts began to race as panic started to rise. He felt the overwhelming desire to run, but there was nowhere to run to.<p>

He looked away as Jack entered, he didn't want to see the face that looked like the one that had torn his hearts.

"You look well," Jack said.

He said nothing at first and then said in no more than a whisper. "Thank you."

He heard Jack sigh and felt the bed dip as he sat down.

"You can't even look at me, can you? Then there's no point in me being here."

He felt Jack get up and then for want of not showing fear he said. "No, stay...please."

The bed dipped again and this time a hand touched him, and he couldn't stop himself trembling.

The hand was withdrawn and the owner of the hand sighed. "I'm not him, can't you see that?"

He didn't answer, fear was making him dumb.

"How do I prove I'm not him? How can I if you can't even look at me or let me touch you?"

He felt the owner of the hand start to rise, and the fear of who the person might be was overwritten by the fear of being alone.

He reached out and grabbed the hand that had been withdrawn and this time he did look up and looked at the face of the owner of the hand.

"Please...I need to see...see if it's really you."

The owner of the face moved forward. "How do I do that, if you barely touch or look at me?"

He let out a shuddering breath and with his hearts still racing in fear he leant forward and kissed the lips of the owner of the face.

A mass of sensations and tastes flooded his mouth and his mind and his hearts raced not with fear but with something.

He couldn't call it love but it was something...this was Jack...his Jack.

He pulled away from the kiss and breathed.

"My Jack."

* * *

><p>Jack had been unprepared for the kiss and froze, not wanting to make a false move for fear of ruining what might be happening.<p>

A wash of disappointment flowed through him when the Doctor pulled away and he was expecting the Doctor to shift away.

So when he heard the softly whispered "My Jack" he was unsure of what to do.

So he sat perfectly still and said calmly. "Do you see now, I'm me."

He allowed himself a small smile when the Doctor didn't shift away and said "You're you."

But there was something...a hesitation still in the Doctor's stance and in his eyes.

"You still don't..." he began to say but was stopped by the Doctor putting a finger on his lips.

"I want to Jack...but you look like and sound like it...I don't know if I can..." he trailed off.

Jack took the Doctor's hand in his and ignored the slight tremor that ran through it. "Let me prove it...we can try and if you can't, we can still be friends. What do you say?"

The Doctor looked at him and nodded. "We can try."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Two Weeks Later<strong>_

Julie handed the Doctor the small file and when he looked at her in puzzlement she smiled and said.

"You're fit enough to leave and this is all the medical records. It's the only copy, do what you want with it. I bet you'll be glad to see the back of this place and me."

The Doctor took the file and took her hand at the same time. "I want to apologise for what I did."

She smiled. "There's nothing to apologise about, you were under stress. It would do that to anyone."

"No," he said. "That's no excuse for what I put you and your daughter through at the bus station. I've caused you to be separated from her and that's...that's not right. No-one should be separated from the ones they love, not ever."

Julie sat on the bed. "I was angry, at first. I thought you were a monster and then all of this started to happen. I saw you in the middle of that god awful fire. I saw that you were willing to die. I saw you when you thought Captain Harkness was dead. That wasn't how a monster would react. So no, you don't have to apologise for doing what we would never had the courage to do."

The Doctor returned her smile "If you need anything, it doesn't matter what or why or when, call Jack and I'll come."

"I'll keep you to that promise...now I think you should get dressed and get out of this place."

* * *

><p>Jack was waiting nervously in reception and couldn't sit still. He felt for the envelope in his pocket, just to make sure it was still there.<p>

"Will you sit down," Gwen said for the second time. "You know how long it takes hospitals to discharge patients."

A few minutes later the doors to the inside of the hospital opened and the Doctor walked out with one of the orderlies.

Jack was over in an instant. "What are you doing walking? Why aren't you in a chair?" and glared at the orderly.

"J-a-a-ck," the Doctor said and rolled his eyes. "Do not wrap me in cotton wool. I'm not going to break. I've been walking since I was two months old."

He turned to the orderly and took his bag. "Thank you Christopher and don't worry about your sister, she'll be fine."

The orderly smiled and left the Doctor alone with the little group that stood waiting for him.

"Gwen, Ianto, wait in the car," Jack said.

The two looked at each other and smiled and left.

"So, you feeling okay...not tired."

"Jack, I've just spent three weeks on my back, any longer and I think that bed would have become permanently attached. I need to breathe air that doesn't taste and smell of disinfectant."

Jack smiled and the Doctor frowned. "What? I know that look...what have you done?"

Jack smile widened and he said. "How are you with Italy in the summer?"

_**TBC in 'Heartsbane'**_


End file.
